Daniel Ricciardo might have competed his last F1 race at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago, but the story could have been completely different, if he had not made the terrible mistake of braking a ‘handshake agreement’ at the end of 2018.
Helmut Marko has indeed claimed that Daniel Ricciardo broke separate handshake agreements with him and Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz prior to his departure from the team at the end of the F1 2018 season.
Marko described Ricciardo’s decision to leave Red Bull as “the turning point” of his career. He revealed that the Australian had assured both him and Mateschitz that he would sign a new Red Bull contract for 2019 and beyond. “It was an event on the main square in Graz. Afterwards, we sat down together and actually came to an agreement. Sealed with a handshake.”
“He then travelled to Salzburg and did the same there with Dietrich Mateschitz. But he had certain reservations about the Honda engine, which would have come to us, and apparently listened more to Renault and Cyril Abiteboul.”
Marko commented that Mr. Mateschitz, who passed away in 2022, was unimpressed by Ricciardo’s sudden change of heart, having already shaken hands on a new Red Bull deal. “He was very keen to ensure that what you seal with a handshake is honoured,” Marko added.
Instead, Ricciardo signed a very lucrative three-year contract with Renault, and from then on his career spiralled down, and besides of a fortunate victory for McLaren, could not deliver the same level of performance as at Red Bull Racing… proving once more the importance of not choosing money over performance and of always keeping your word.
