
How Red Bull's Sainz hardball led Renault to Ricciardo
How Red Bull's Sainz hardball led Renault to Ricciardo

Cyril Abiteboul says Red Bull's attempts to block Renault from signing Carlos Sainz Jr ultimately led them to pursuing Daniel Ricciardo, hinting the Australian might have remained with his current employers, had they been more willing to part with Sainz.
Ricciardo's switch to Renault kick-started a crazy period of activity in the driver market, with Sainz ultimately securing a move to McLaren and rumoured Renault target Esteban Ocon left to contemplate 2019 without an F1 drive.
Sainz left Toro Rosso at the back-end of 2017 to replace Jolyon Palmer and has raced alongside Nico Hulkenberg for the French squad this year.
Retaining their line-up for another year was originally a priority for Renault, but Red Bull's single-mindedness over Sainz might have cost them Ricciardo in the long-run.
"I think we felt like there was something between Renault and Carlos, and it's a bit weird, because in the end this allowed us to sign Ricciardo more easily," said Abiteboul.
"It was easier to reach an agreement with Daniel than with Carlos, because clearly Red Bull was blocking our attempt to sign an extension of our agreement with Sainz.
"Honestly, if Red Bull had a less tough position on Carlos, the final result would have been different: after the French Grand Prix we pushed to try to confirm Carlos, but Red Bull did not want to take this step.
Naming this year’s @F1 calendar backwards. Could you do it? We put @Carlossainz55 to the test, find out how he did in this week’s Quick Quiz! ????#RSspirit #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/0Oj3Cuh6oE — Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) October 4, 2018
"They had the right to do that, but that strangely led them to lose Ricciardo.
"Surely it was not what they would have expected, but [signing Ricciardo] is the result of their hard opposition to letting us continue with Carlos the moment we were interested in doing so."
MORE: Raikkonen writes a book of poems... and it's classic Kimi
MORE: Suzuka rain doesn't scare Vettel
Most read

Hamilton fired 'Oscars' warning as Red Bull Ford rumours intensify - GPFans F1 Recap

F1 LIVE - F1 Academy confirms first driver

FIA under fire AGAIN: Controversial F1 decision 'clearly wrong'

Hulkenberg and Schumacher switch branded 'waste of time'

F1 FIA saga takes new turn as Mercedes return to the track - GPFans F1 Recap
F1 Standings

Races
-
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
-
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Australia 2023
-
Grand Prix of China 2023
-
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
-
Miami Grand Prix 2023
-
Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
-
Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
-
Grand Prix of Spain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Canada 2023
-
Grand Prix of Austria 2023
-
Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
-
Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
-
Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Italy 2023
-
Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
-
Grand Prix of Japan 2023
-
Qatar Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of the United States 2023
-
Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
-
Grand Prix of Brazil 2023
-
Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media

7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860