Ricciardo: No falling out, no bad blood

Asked by the official F1 website if is a decision to depart Red Bull to join the French works team was based on the suspicions that he was being marginalised within the team, Ricciardo replied, "To be clear, there was no falling out, no bad blood with anyone in the team or the bosses."

"I know with the contract stuff, people assumed I was pretty much done with Red Bull and ready to sign. I’m pretty sure I always said I was close to doing something, not necessarily with Red Bull. There wasn’t anything that changed overnight that caused this decision."

Since October last year, when Red Bull extended their deal with Max Verstappen until the end of 2020, word from the Bullpen was that their big smiling Aussie was increasingly unhappy with the shifting balance of power in the garage and was thus quietly looking around for alternatives.

But, Ricciardo insisted, "I never said I was unloved. That wasn’t the case. There was no real highlight other than, probably the routine. We don’t have a 9-5 job or go to the same office every day."

"But I guess after years of going to the same factory – that kind of routine – I felt at times my enjoyment of the sport was coming a little bit numb at times. I felt part of the routine was causing that."

"I’m still discovering myself in life and it’s changing pretty rapidly. How I felt 12 months ago is probably not how I think now. I guess part of that process, a little bit of the routine, was something that I felt was, maybe not getting the best of me, but having a little effect on me."

Ricciardo has been part of the Red Bull driver programme for a decade, the organisation powered and mentored him through his junior career. They then financed his Formula 1 debut at the 2011 British Grand Prix and a further half season with now-defunct HRT.

He progressed through Toro Rosso where he impressed the team's chiefs before getting the Red Bull call-up in 2014, to partner Sebastien Vettel who he went on to beat that year. Since then he has scored seven victories, an additional 22 podiums and two pole positions.

The 29-year-old continued, "I don’t feel my presence in the team has changed. It’s probably shown on Sundays the desire is 100 percent there. The desire to race and be the best certainly hasn’t diminished. I don’t think anything changed over the process."

"It’s more me when away from the track, I was lying in bed at night and things were running through my head. I was asking myself more questions, what I want and where I see myself."

"I took my time with it. It was by no means an easy decision. I got to a point where I felt I was ready for a change. That was the long and short of fit. Ready for a new challenge. For me personally, just some fresh motivation."

"That sounds easy saying it like that – it wasn’t easy. I had a few sleepless nights trying to come up with the best conclusion for myself. Once I made that decision and pulled the trigger, I felt comfortable with it and it feels right moving on to next year."

Red Bull chiefs Christian Horner and Helmut Marko revealed how Ricciardo's decision took them by surprised as they believed they had him for at least another two years.

Ricciardo acknowledged, "It was, I guess, tight with deadlines. It’s not something I knew for weeks or months. It was all pretty much when it got announced. Renault were part of my considerations for a bit of time. They didn’t come out of nowhere in the last hour."

"The process took time. I still wasn’t sure in Budapest and then did the test on Tuesday, took some time to think about it over the next 48 hours and then came to my decision. It wasn’t easy, and there were a lot of factors to weigh up.

"But in my mind, the key thing personally was it was time to make a change. The first part of this year – up until Monaco – it was an amazing start to the year for me, with so many positives. (But) still at times, for whatever reason, I felt frustrated within myself. I was trying to understand why. When I weighed it up, a change of settings was the answer I need."

He explained how he informed Marko about his decision, "I don’t like letting anyone down. Not many people get satisfaction letting others down. Look, it was OK, it was a phone call I had to make. One that for sure made me nervous. When speaking to Helmut, he was understanding in many ways of course."

"He’s known me for 10 years. I think he sensed that there was probably some frustration, some things changing in me - I don’t think it completely surprised him."

"He was a little disappointed that I was moving on. From my side, it makes me sad to move on but it was nice to know I was wanted there and they wanted to keep me. It was very calm and respectful. It was all I could ask for."

Ricciardo, with two grand prix victories this year, lies fifth in the drivers' standings with 118 points trailing leader Lewis Hamilton by 263 points. The Australian will be replaced at Red Bull by Pierre Gasly next season.

The two-year deal Ricciardo has signed with Renault means that at the end of 2020, when he is 31, he will be available to stay on with the French outfit should they provide him with a title-winning car, if not then Ferrari or Mercedes are realistic targets for 2021 and beyond. Time is on his side.