Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner believes Daniel Ricciardo isn’t “the same driver that he was” when driving for his team, hoping he finds a seat after his McLaren exit.
Following months of speculation, McLaren announced on Wednesday that Ricciardo would leave the team at the end of the season having mutually agreed to part ways a year before his contract ran out.
It marks the end to a difficult stint for Ricciardo, who has struggled for form since joining McLaren last year, despite claiming the team’s first win in nearly a decade at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
During his five seasons at Red Bull, Ricciardo enjoyed a more fruitful period, scoring seven victories and twice finishing third in the drivers’ championship before his shock departure to Renault in 2019.
Horner said it was “very said” his see his former driver in a difficult phase of his career, with Ricciardo now considering his options to remain on the F1 grid in 2023.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Horner said: “I don’t recognise him as the same driver that he was when he was with us.
“He’s one of the best guys out there. He’s definitely got that capability. I hope he finds a seat in Formula 1. I hope he finds his mojo.
“If you think back to some of the races he drove for us, [like] winning Monaco Grand Prix with 50% of the power [in 2018], he put in some amazing performances.
“You have to think when he was alongside Seb [Vettel], when he first came into the team, how he delivered, how close he was obviously with Max [Verstappen] as well.
“So obviously it’s tough for him, but I really hope that he finds something for the future.”
Horner labelled Ricciardo as one of the best drivers on his day, but believes the Australian isn’t performing at a similar level due to a crisis of confidence.
“We saw how close those guys were,” Horner said. “Max has evolved since Daniel left the team. But Daniel on his day, he was right there. He put in some amazing performances, and we were sad to see him leave the team.
“His confidence has been sapped. We’re used to seeing him on the podiums doing shoeys, messing around with that big smile. We don’t see any of that any more.
“I hope for him he finds an opportunity to further his career, because I think Formula 1 would be better off having him in this championship than not.”
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