Ricciardo 'escaping Verstappen's shadow' with Renault move - Palmer

Former Renault driver Jolyon Palmer says Daniel Ricciardo's switch to the French team from Red Bull is a "backwards step" but was necessary to escape the "shadow" of Max Verstappen. Ricciardo stunned the Formula 1 world on Friday by confirming a two-year deal with Renault.

According to reports, Ricciardo pushed his move through after Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz failed to guarantee him equal footing with Verstappen moving forward.

Ricciardo had been widely expected to sign a new Red Bull deal regardless, but his stunning switch leaves teams and drivers up and down the grid scrambling to secure their futures, with a string of previously assumed deals now thrown into doubt.

Palmer raced for Renault in 2016 and 2017, but only scored two points finishes and was released for the final four races of last season to make way for Carlos Sainz Jr, since turning his hand to media work in the UK.

Although pouring doubt on Ricciardo's ability to challenge immediately with Renault, Palmer believes the relationship could be fruitful in time.

"To be honest it's a backwards move for Ricciardo," Palmer told BBC Radio 5.

"They're a team that's on the up, but they are currently behind - there's no two ways about it.

"I think money would have been a factor, of sorts, because Verstappen was paid a lot of money to stay with Red Bull last year and I think Red Bull, probably, weren't willing to pay Ricciardo quite the same.

"I think Ricciardo will feel a lot more valued at Renault, where he'll come into a team that will be really excited to have him. They'll be really pinning a lot of hopes on him to move forwards, so I think it's a little bit of the whole dynamic within the team which is better for him at Renault even if they're technically a little bit behind.

"At Red Bull, I felt - and he probably felt - that he was just starting to slide into Verstappen's shadow and that's a dangerous place to be."