Horner suspects Ricciardo's decision was linked to Max

Red Bull squad brag Christian Horner believes Daniel Ricciardo's determination to power to Renault adjacent twelvemonth was partially influenced by the increasing spot of existent teammate Max Verstappen.

Ricciardo announced past week that helium would permission Red Bull and thrust for Renault adjacent twelvemonth aft signing a two-year declaration with the French manufacturer. In presumption of outright competitiveness, the determination represents a measurement backwards for Ricciardo, with Renault improbable to destruct the important spread successful show to Red Bull successful the short-term.

However, Ricciardo said helium wanted "a caller and caller challenge" adjacent year, and emphasised the awesome grounds of Renualt successful F1 implicit the past of the sport. Yet Horner suspects that the imaginable of going up against existent teammate Verstappen arsenic helium becomes a stronger operator besides played a part.

"Daniel said helium decided aft a agelong formation to America that helium wanted a change," Horner told F1's authoritative podcast Beyond the Grid. "If you look astatine the rational reasons for that, it's hard to recognize but Daniel evidently had his reasons.

"I deliberation it came down to wanting to instrumentality on, successful his words, 'a caller challenge' but I besides deliberation that helium sees Max increasing and increasing successful presumption of velocity and spot and helium doesn't privation to play a enactment relation -- for privation of a amended connection due to the fact that it's not that they are treated successful immoderate mode different.

"[They would person been guaranteed] implicit adjacent presumption arsenic they person ever had [at Red Bull], but I can't assistance but consciousness that was a ample portion of Daniel's determination making. I could recognize if it was to Ferrari oregon Mercedes, but it's an tremendous hazard astatine this signifier of his career."

Horner revealed that Ricciardo lone fto him cognize astir the determination the time earlier it was announced and said helium archetypal thought his operator was winding him up. However, helium admitted that the signs had been determination during their ain negotiations with Ricciardo and that the Australian had been reluctant to perpetrate to Red Bull.

"I person to admit, it's been a spot similar trying to person a miss to spell retired with you who's being beauteous reticent," helium said. "I conjecture erstwhile you look astatine it it's felt similar that.

"Daniel's had conversations with Dietrich, with myself, with Helmut and we person bent implicit backwards to marque it happen, but if your bosom is not truly successful it past ... it's conscionable felt similar that.

"At the extremity of the day, we person fixed Daniel everything that helium ever wanted and it inactive wasn't capable successful his caput to accidental 'I privation to support going astatine Red Bull'. So it wasn't astir money, it wasn't astir status, it wasn't astir presumption oregon committedness oregon duration, I deliberation helium felt that helium needed to instrumentality thing other connected astatine this signifier successful his career.

"It mightiness beryllium an inspired choice, it mightiness beryllium 1 that helium regrets."