In another world, Daniel Ricciardo could be next to Max Verstappen in the Red Bull right now. Maybe he made it back into the seat after his stint at Racing Bulls last year, or maybe he never left at all at the end of the 2018 season. Maybe he stayed on for two more years until a spot opened up at Ferrari (although maybe that’s a “what-if” he can live with, seeing how that turned out for Carlos Sainz).
No matter how you look at it, there’s a lot of “what-ifs” about Daniel Ricciardo’s racing career, and most of it starts with leaving Red Bull.
Some will say that he chased a big paycheck.
Others say he was afraid of a fight with Max Verstappen.
Why is this relevant in 2025?