Pink Bull racing adviser Helmut Marko stated he believes Daniel Ricciardo misplaced his killer intuition when he left Pink Bull for Renault in 2019.

Ricciardo claimed seven of his eight race victories at Pink Bull, earlier than spending two years apiece with Renault and McLaren — successful the 2021 Italian Grand prix for the latter.

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Ricciardo returned to RB final season, however on Thursday it was confirmed he’ll make means for Liam Lawson for the remainder of the season.

Marko stated Ricciardo was by no means the identical after leaving the corporate’s important crew.

“I believe the choice to depart Pink Bull Racing was the turning level in his profession,” Marko advised Motorsport Whole. “Then he did not have a successful automotive at both Renault or McLaren. He did win at Monza, however these had been particular circumstances

“I do not know what precisely occurred, as a result of if we knew, we’d have helped him. However the pace and, above all, this late braking, after which he goes left or proper… in these previous couple of years he tried but it surely was not there, the killer intuition was gone.”

Marko additionally prompt, as Pink Bull did when Ricciardo signed his Renault contract, that the Australian left as a result of he didn’t assume he may beat Max Verstappen in equal equipment.

“He had sure reservations in regards to the Honda engine and apparently he listened extra to the candy discuss of Renault and Cyril Abiteboul. Financially, there wasn’t a lot distinction between what Renault supplied him and what we supplied.

“I additionally advised him: ‘Shoeys will probably be onerous for you’. I do not assume we have seen Renault on the rostrum lots. He got here to us, beating Vettel with three-to-zero victories in 2014 and after that, Daniil Kvyat was quicker than him at occasions, however over the season he additionally had him beneath management.

“After which Max got here and he received stronger and stronger, in order that was definitely one of many causes for his choice to decide on Renault over us.”

Sources have advised ESPN that Marko was the senior member of Pink Bull’s administration pushing for Lawson to interchange Ricciardo, with Christian Horner backing the veteran driver to the tip.

Marko desires to show the corporate’s second crew again right into a coaching floor for its youthful abilities.

Lawson, who joined Pink Bull’s driver academy in 2019, has six occasions this yr to indicate off his abilities as the corporate resolve which of its groups he’ll drive for subsequent yr, with Sergio Pérez’s future nonetheless unclear.