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Lingering Regret Over Milton Keynes Exit
Daniel Ricciardo has conceded that he wishes he had remained at Red Bull Racing beyond the 2018 Formula 1 season, acknowledging that staying with the Milton Keynes organisation would have offered his most viable opportunity to fight for a world championship. Speaking during a 2026 appearance on the Beyond The Grid podcast, the 36-year-old Australian racer reflected on the missed opportunities that followed his departure and the possibility of challenging teammate Max Verstappen for motor racing's premier crown. While he originally sought a fresh challenge, Ricciardo admitted that walking away steered his grand prix career down a considerably more arduous trajectory.
A Winding Path Through the Formula 1 Grid
The Australian brought an end to his stint at Red Bull at the close of 2018 to join Renault, believing an environmental change could help him take the next developmental step in his racing journey. Ricciardo subsequently competed for McLaren before returning to the Red Bull stable with Racing Bulls, though his final Formula 1 appearance arrived at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Looking back, the veteran remains uncertain regarding what would have transpired had he continued alongside Verstappen, yet maintains that he possessed the calibre to battle his former garage partner and contest titles.
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Facing the Verstappen Benchmark
Ricciardo was reluctant to assert that staying would have guaranteed him a world championship, recognizing the exceptional level Verstappen has achieved as one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history. He emphasized that overcoming his former teammate would never have proven an easy assignment. Nevertheless, Ricciardo drew confidence from his personal displays during his concluding campaign with the squad in 2018, when he secured multiple Grand Prix victories and pole positions to showcase his front-running speed. Backed by those performances, he affirmed that he remained highly capable back then and had no doubt about his ability to continue competing with Verstappen.
A Resolute Championship Stance
When questioned directly about whether remaining in Milton Keynes would have allowed him to pursue a world championship, Ricciardo responded decisively in the affirmative. He highlighted that staying with the front-running team was unquestionably his best option to achieve that pinnacle ambition, before encapsulating his lingering sporting regret in a succinct admission: "I wish I had stayed."
Escaping the Threat of Complacency
Delving into the motivations behind his original exit, Ricciardo explained that his decision was propelled by a desire to disrupt an overly comfortable situation. Despite his earlier success, he sensed that familiarity was breeding complacency and sought to test his skills in an alternative setting. Renault offered a new venture and a distinct competitive atmosphere removed from Verstappen. For those reasons, Ricciardo resisted branding the switch as an outright mistake, pointing out that the circumstances governing his decision were far more nuanced than a black-and-white verdict.
The Unanswered Questions of an Alternative Reality
The subsequent years, however, failed to deliver the competitive results Ricciardo had envisioned. Neither Renault nor McLaren provided machinery capable of mounting a realistic championship fight, while his eventual reunion with the Red Bull umbrella proved short-lived. Acknowledging that his career navigated a winding and rough route following his departure, he remains intensely curious about how events might have unfolded alongside Verstappen. Even while conceding that Verstappen might simply have continued improving, Ricciardo affirmed that if granted the chance to relive that pivotal career juncture, he would choose to stay.
Sources: Ricciardo admits he wishes he had stayed at Red Bull alongside Verstappen.
