Daniel Ricciardo expresses significant regret regarding his exit from Red Bull in 2018.

“To put it simply, yes. I suppose I wish I had stayed, right? When I say I suppose, it doesn’t come off as convincing. I truly wish I had stayed, but at the time, I felt I was becoming a bit too comfortable, perhaps even complacent. There was a desire to seek out new challenges. So, it's not entirely straightforward.”

The 37-year-old remarked that the move likely cost him his best opportunity to contend for a world championship.

“If I had the chance to become a world champion, yes, was that my best shot? Absolutely. From that perspective, I think, ‘Yeah, I would have loved to explore what might have happened if I had stayed.’ I wouldn’t say it haunts me, but it’s the one mystery I find so intriguing in terms of how it could have unfolded.”

Ricciardo was cautious not to assert that he would have outperformed Verstappen, stating it would be “unfair” to make such a claim. However, he did emphasize that he was still performing at his peak at that moment, as evidenced by his victory at the Monaco Grand Prix and his pole position in Mexico that same year.

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, takes a photo on stage at the Miami Opening Party, in front of Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, Lando Norris, McLaren

“I’m not questioning my ability to have continued competing with Max,” he stated. “It's evident that from that moment forward, yes, my career took some... the journey was a bit winding and tumultuous. So, yeah, that was a crucial turning point.”

He added: “If I could experience it again, would I choose to stay? And am I genuinely curious about the outcome? Yes, the answer is yes. So whether you want to label it as regret or curiosity or whatever, I would say yes.”

Ricciardo later rejoined the Red Bull family, initially as a reserve driver in 2023 and subsequently racing for its second team, before being let go after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix following a challenging stint with the organization.