Jenson Button admits to feeling discomfort with Red Bull’s approach to F1 driver management and its strategy of making abrupt changes to its lineups, a practice that has notably affected Daniel Ricciardo.
The Aussie has left the F1 grid, replaced by Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson for the final races of the 2024 F1 season after a troubled campaign with Visa Cash App RB during which he failed to meet his employer’s expectations.
In a candid discussion on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Button opened his remarks by questioning Red Bull’s unique habit of rotating drivers mid-season.
“It’s a funny one, because there’s only one team really that brings in drivers mid-season, takes drivers out of the seat mid-season, or three races in, six races in, and that team is Red Bull, and AlphaTauri [RB],” Button explained.
From Button’s point of view, this approach is not only unusual but also uncomfortable. He pointed out that, in his own racing career, such changes were very rare.
“It’s unusual, and I’ve never seen that in my career, unless someone’s been putting it in the wall every race and it’s like, ‘You know what? We can’t afford to have you in the car’,” he continued.
“So it’s a weird one. I’ve never felt comfortable with that, always I feel that a driver deserves a season to really show what he can do, because that’s what it is, right?
“It’s a championship, and it’s how many points you can score through that season, not just halfway through – but they’ve always done it a different way.
“And, to be fair, they’ve put Daniel in a few races into a season as well, so it’s a tough one.”
There’s no denying however that, over the years, be it with McLaren or RB, Ricciardo’s performances were not up to the standard expected to be delivered by an eight-time Grand Prix winner, a fact that has left Button scratching his head.
“I struggle with the results he’s had lately, because he’s an exceptional talent. He really is,” Button said.
Reflecting on Ricciardo’s early career, the 2009 F1World Champion praised his remarkable debut season with Red Bull in 2014, where he outperformed Sebastian Vettel and later competed toe-to-toe with Max Verstappen.
“To jump in the Red Bull when he did and go up against Sebastian Vettel, to go up against Max and be as competitive as he was, it was unbelievable. It really was,” he stated.
“And then we saw glimpses of it at Renault as well, you know, before it was Alpine. Took some time to find his feet, but then he was extremely quick against the Hulk [Nico Hulkenberg], who we all rate very highly.
“It just didn’t materialise at McLaren and AlphaTauri, which is such a shame. And why is that? I don’t know.
The impact of Ricciardo’s struggles on his career has been significant, but Button believes it’s not due to his age, especially when compared to the continued success of other older drivers, such as Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton.
“It’s not his age, he’s not old,” commented Button. “Look at Fernando Alonso, what he can do.
“So the only person that knows is probably Daniel, and I feel for him, because to be on such a high for a lot of your career, and then it fall away for the last few years, it’s tough.
“But I think, from what I’ve heard, he’s made peace with it. He’s got his whole life in front of him.”
Reflecting on Ricciardo’s future, Button was optimistic about the 35-year-old’s prospects beyond Formula 1.
“I know there’s so much to do out there after Formula 1, and fun things for him to do that he wasn’t able to do while he was in F1,” said the Briton said, speaking out of experience.
“But it always hurts a bit when it’s not your decision to leave – and he’ll feel that pain for a little while – but then he’ll get over it and he’ll be all good.
“He’s such a personality. He’s got such a career in front of him, whether it’s in racing or TV, stand up, whatever it is, Daniel will find the route that works for him.”
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