IN FIVE WORDS, HELMUT MARKO EXPLAINS WHY VCARB FIRED DANIEL RICCIARDO.

Helmut Marko feels that Daniel Ricciardo’s “killer instinct was gone” after he left Red Bull in 2018. The well-liked Australian’s mid-season exit from Formula One appeared to be finalized on Thursday. With VCARB, Ricciardo has had a difficult season. After only three of the 18 races held so far in 2024 saw him score points, he found himself looking over his shoulder. He began the campaign with the intention of applying pressure to Sergio Perez for a seat at Red Bull. As a result, Liam Lawson was brought in to replace Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda for the final six races, resulting in an early departure. After leaving Red Bull in 2018, Helmut Marko believes that Daniel Ricciardo’s “killer instinct was gone.” It seemed as though the popular Australian’s mid-season departure from Formula One was set in stone on Thursday. Ricciardo has had a challenging season with VCARB. He was starting to get ahead of himself because he had only scored points in three of the eighteen races that had been held in 2024. His goal going into the campaign was to put pressure on Sergio Perez to take a seat at Red Bull. This led to an early withdrawal, with Liam Lawson being brought in to replace Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda for the remaining six races. Before the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Ricciardo’s future appeared uncertain. The 35-year-old declined to promise he was quitting, but his final tour’s fastest lap attempt and some tearful post-race interviews proved the signs were there. “I believe the fastest lap was the deserving farewell performance, and he was informed,” said Marko. Even so, it didn’t demonstrate his potential consistently or to the extent that would have made joining Red Bull Racing appropriate.