Daniel Ricciardo claims there was no “black and white” reason why he chose McLaren over Renault for 2021.
The Australian will switch to the Woking-based outfit replacing Carlos Sainz next season, with the Spaniard taking Sebastian Vettel’s seat at Ferrari.
Ricciardo’s move comes after just one season of racing for the French manufacturer following his exit from Red Bull, and it has appeared to anger team boss Cyril Abiteboul, who hinted at a lack of trust when confirming the 30-year-old’s departure.
But commenting on what led to him choosing McLaren, Ricciardo seemed to reject it was a lack of faith in the Renault project.
“I guess no decision is ever black and white, and I can’t actually give you a black and white answer. There wasn’t any moment, which was like a light bulb and said, ‘Yes, that’s what I need to do’,” he told CNN.
Also Read:
- Renault boss ‘disappointed’ by quick Ricciardo exit, will take time to pick replacement
- McLaren tout Ricciardo as F1 champion material after finally signing him for ’21
- No chance of Ricciardo being given No.1 driver status by McLaren
“Equally, there wasn’t something I saw in McLaren, which created that or there wasn’t something in Renault, which created the moment of ‘I have to move on.’
“The discussions with McLaren go back to even before, I guess, 2018, and I guess continued over time.
“Obviously it’s not an overnight decision. I guess to compare as well the two I don’t think that’s fair.”
Before that Ricciardo had been linked to Vettel’s seat at Ferrari and confirmed he was in contact with Maranello.
“There have been discussions already from a few years back and that continued all the way through to now,” he said. “So yeah, I won’t deny that but obviously it’s never really come to fruition.”
And as for Ferrari’s decision to pursue Sainz…
“I see how Carlos is a fit for the team,” Ricciardo added.
“So I don’t really look at it like ‘why not me?’ I just look at it: Yeah, Carlos had a very strong 2019. Yeah, he’s a bit of hot property right now, and I guess it’s a good fit for where they are at.”