Daniel Ricciardo F1 News: Red Bull handed DIRE verdict over Australian's treatment

Daniel Ricciardo

Red Bull handed DIRE verdict over Ricciardo treatment

Hewgill has criticised Red Bull's handling of their drivers

Jay Winter

Tuesday 19 November 2024 21:54

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Red Bull Racing has come under fire once again for their controversial treatment of drivers, following Daniel Ricciardo’s recent sacking.

The Australian driver, who rejoined Red Bull’s fold in 2023, was abruptly replaced at their sister team VCARB, following the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this year.

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Ricciardo, a beloved figure in the paddock and a proven race winner, found himself struggling to match the performances of his younger team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Despite rumours swirling that Singapore would be his last race, the team and Ricciardo did not confirm his departure publicly at the time due to reported sponsorship complications.

Just weeks later, a simple social media post announced that rookie Liam Lawson would be taking his place for the Austin Grand Prix and beyond.

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Daniel Ricciardo's VCARB F1 sacking

Now, F1 pundit Christian Hewgill has issued a scathing assessment in his evaluation of Red Bull’s handling of the situation.

Speaking on the Fast and the Curious podcast, he accused the team of failing to treat Ricciardo with the respect and dignity he deserved.

"I don’t think Red Bull look after their drivers well enough," Hewgill said. "I think they are quite happy to throw someone in and let them fry."

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The saga, according to Hewgill, is yet another example of Red Bull’s long-standing approach of prioritising results over loyalty or driver welfare.

"I think history shows us they don’t care that much," he added.

"The way they treated Daniel Ricciardo was poor. Everybody knew, even he knew he was on his way out, and yet they didn’t handle that in a dignified manner at all.

"They consistently show they haven’t learnt lessons from the past."

Mercedes Daniel Ricciardo Singapore Grand Prix VCARB