Growing up watching Grand Prix races in the late 1980s in the UK, I was fortunate to experience some of the best F1 commentary. The combination of Murray Walker and former F1 champion turned co-commentator James Hunt, in my opinion, has never been surpassed. Hunt was an articulate authority on F1 and its drivers, never holding back on his opinions.
I wonder what James Hunt would make of the current situation surrounding Daniel Ricciardo. Now 35 years old, Ricciardo is no longer the young, energetic driver he was when he entered F1 13 years ago. That being said, any driver who has competed in F1 for over 13 years has had a good run.
But eventually, that run comes to an end, and Ricciardo’s exit from F1 seems to be approaching. When he joined McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo was a shadow of his former Red Bull self. The reasons behind his decline are unclear, but his performances have not improved since his switch to Red Bull’s sister team, RB Racing.
What highlights Ricciardo’s struggles even more is that he’s being outperformed by Yuki Tsunoda—an above-average driver who has improved but is unlikely to become a future F1 champion. One of James Hunt’s key assessments of drivers was whether they were being beaten by a younger teammate; if so, it was often a sign of decline.
Why do drivers decline towards the end of their careers? Age is rarely the main factor—motivation usually plays a bigger role. However, it’s difficult to assess with Ricciardo, given his sunny personality. What is clear is that he has struggled to adapt to the ground effect era. Why this is the case remains hard to pinpoint.
If James Hunt were alive today, I’m quite sure he would bluntly tell Ricciardo to retire, based on his performances relative to a teammate widely regarded as the lesser driver. The only other person with a realistic perspective on this is Jacques Villeneuve.
A 13-year F1 career is considered a good run, and while Ricciardo may be emotional about knowing his career is nearing its end, on the flip side, he’s laughing all the way to the bank. F1 has been financially rewarding for Ricciardo, who has amassed a £50M fortune during his career.