Daniel Ricciardo says a lack of progress by Red Bull in 2019 means he is comfortable with his decision to leave.
Questions have continually followed the Australian about his move to Renault as the French manufacturer has failed to make the progress that was expected heading into this season.
However, at the same time, while admitting his results may well have been better, in terms of actual competitiveness, Ricciardo believes Red Bull has stood still.
“On my side, there’s no regrets,” GPFans quoted him as telling Fairfax Media.
“I’ve tried to picture myself at Red Bull this year and look at the potential results I could have had, but I don’t feel I would be feeling any different to what I felt last year.
“I don’t feel like I would have progressed. Max has won a couple of races, but they haven’t done anything more than they did when I was there.
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“I would have maybe stood on the podium a few times, but I’ve done that before, and ultimately it’s not getting everything that I want [out of F1]. Knowing what Red Bull should be capable of, I don’t feel it would be fulfilling for me.
“Personally, I’ve got a lot more out of myself this year. I’ve learned how to drive differently, especially at the start of the year when I wasn’t that comfortable with the car. I’m better for it and have done well to come out of that.”
Even former teammate Max Verstappen has become frustrated by Red Bull’s position, stuck behind Mercedes and Ferrari, but the Dutchman is sure next year can be different.
“We’ve not improved as much as we would have liked,” he conceded, speaking to Yahoo. “But then when you compare us to Mercedes it’s not like we are massively off, we just definitely haven’t improved compared to Ferrari.
“We just need to keep working hard to try and improve and try to learn for next year as well. And from the engine side, we can still do a better job. Everyone knows that. It’s not a secret, and we all want that.
“Of course, I didn’t expect to fight for the championship this year [with Honda]. It’s not a realistic target when you work with a new partner unless it’s a proven partner over a long period of time.
“We have been very much in a building phase together to try and maximise the potential. We have seen glimpses of it so now it’s about trying to put it all together for next year.”