Daniel Ricciardo stopped short of claiming he would have won an F1 world title with Red Bull, acknowledging that he would have had to beat Max Verstappen.

However, he wishes that he had stayed around to find out if he could.

Daniel Ricciardo admits leaving Red Bull was a pivotal F1 career decision

A Red Bull junior, Ricciardo made his Formula 1 debut in 2011 with HRT, replacing Narain Karthikeyan for the final 11 races of the season.

After two full seasons with Red Bull’s junior team, Toro Rosso, he was promoted to the senior team and beat reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel in their season together as teammates.

Daniil Kvyat replaced the Ferrari-bound Vettel in 2015, but his time with Red Bull Racing was short-lived, with Verstappen parachuted in at race five of the 2016 season, the Spanish GP. The Dutchman won on his Red Bull debut.

As Verstappen’s stature within the team grew, the rivalry between the teammates intensified. Their feud exploded during the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where they swapped positions several times before colliding on Lap 40.

Although Ricciardo was offered a one-year contract extension for the 2019 season, he decided to leave Red Bull to switch to Renault. He spent two years with the team before moving to McLaren.

While Verstappen went on to become a four-time world champion, Ricciardo never again reached the heights he had enjoyed at Red Bull.

He added just one victory during his four years away from Red Bull before returning to the fold for his final two seasons in Formula 1.

But does he regret leaving Red Bull, and does he believe he would have won an F1 world title had he stayed?

“I still don’t really know how to answer it,” he told the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“I definitely don’t want to say, ‘Oh yeah, I would have been world champion if I stayed’ because I think it’s not a reality that was lived.

“Max has gone on to prove that he is one of the best ever, so I don’t want to dismiss that as well and be like, ‘Yeah, I would have beat Max and become world champion’.

“It wouldn’t have been an easy task, but I think it’s also maybe a bit unfair towards him to say that — obviously I respect him a lot.

“I acknowledge definitely that it was a decision that was… I mean, if I tell you, everything that went on, it was wild.”

He continued: “If I’m to answer it shortly, yes. I guess I wish I would have stayed, right? I say I guess that doesn’t sound convincing.

“I wish I would have stayed, but I don’t know. I also know at the time I left because I felt I was getting a bit comfortable, a bit complacent. I think there was a desire to try something else.

“So I don’t know. It’s not that black and white. But if I could have been a world champion? Yes. Was that my best opportunity? Yeah, absolutely. I would have loved to have known the reality, like another reality of if I stayed.

“I don’t want to say it haunts me, but it’s the one like unknown that I’m so interested how that would have panned out, but again, I’ve said it before, there’s also reality where Max just kept getting better and kept getting momentum.

“Would I have kept lifting? It’s hard to say. But for sure at that time I felt very able. Obviously I won some races that 2018 year, and I got a pole.

“I was still very capable. I’m not doubting my abilities to have kept competing with Max, but it’s a hard one.”

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Ricciardo’s move to Renault, which had supplied Red Bull’s power units and operated its own works team, failed to deliver the results the Honey Badger had expected. Neither did his move to McLaren.

He concedes that the moment when he decided to leave Red Bull was a critical juncture in his F1 career.

“It’s clear that from that point on my career took some… The river was a little windy and rough. So yeah, that was a pivotal moment for sure,” he explained.

“So if I could relive it again, would I stay, and am I absolutely curious about what would have happened? Yes, the answer is yes.

“So if you want to call it regret or curiosity or whatever, then I will say yes.”

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