Daniel Ricciardo admits he expects the reality of his pending departure from Red Bull to set in after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.
The Australian is heading to Renault for 2019 but will bring to an end a decade’s long association with the Austrian energy drinks giant, who helped him through the junior series into F1 with Toro Rosso before joining the senior team in 2014.
Despite what he knows will be a difficult moment at Yas Marina, he also reiterated why he made the bold decision to join the French manufacturer.
“It feels mostly real – but honestly, I think when the chequered flag drops in Abu Dhabi, and I take off the Red Bull overalls for the last time, that’s when it’s going to hit me,” he said to the company’s official website.
“It’s not so much the ‘moving to Renault’ part, as it is the ‘closing the book on this part of my career’ bit. From an emotional point of view, that’s when it’s going to hit me.
“I’ve been wearing a Red Bull helmet for over a decade now. It’s been a fun journey and we’re certainly not splitting on bad terms. I’m ready for something new.
“I’m going to be 30 next year and I felt like it was time for the next part of my adulthood,” he concluded.
Many have questioned whether joining a team still in a development stage is a wise move for Ricciardo, however, particularly with Executive Director Marcin Budkowski playing down expectations going forward.
“We are 1.5 seconds off the top guys, and if I was sat here thinking we are going to recover that against people like Mercedes and Ferrari, these massive organisations, with super competent people, [I would be wrong],” he was quoted by PlanetF1.
“We have grown over the last two years, but they have had structures with 900 people for many years. Stability has been a benefit to them, so it would be ludicrous for me to say we are going to beat them next year.
“Our objective is to continue progressing strongly, and to be honest, reducing that gap is a real achievement. I certainly hope we can fight much closer to them in 2020. But I am not going to make any predictions because it would be unreasonable.”
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Force India driver Sergio Perez believes the seven-time Grand Prix winner’s decision is a good thing for F1.
“Ricciardo to Renault, it’s quite an interesting one,” he told RaceFans. “To be someone like him in the midfield will just show how strong the midfield is at the moment.
“If things stay the same for next year and the midfield is so close together he’s going to enjoy a lot of competition.”