P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Daniel Ricciardo turned down a contract at Red Bull which would have matched Max Verstappen’s massive salary, Christian Horner has revealed.
Daniel Ricciardo shocked the Formula 1 community when he left Red Bull to join Renault in 2019. It has now been revealed that Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz agreed to offer Ricciardo a salary equal to that of his teammate Max Verstappen, which amounted to $10 million per year. Team principal Christian Horner had requested Mateschitz to show Ricciardo some appreciation. However, despite the agreement, Ricciardo only signed a one-year deal due to concerns about the engine reliability. Ultimately, he surprised everyone by announcing his move to Renault, the same team whose engine had let him down. Ricciardo later went on to drive for McLaren before rejoining the Red Bull family as a driver for AlphaTauri. Speculations suggest he may return to Red Bull alongside Verstappen in 2025.
