drunkf1fan wrote: ↑17 Sep 2018, 13:11
He hasn't been exiled from Red Bull, he's only being excluded from meetings talking about anything to do with next years car. SO if they speak with Honda, Max sits in, Ricciardo doesn't. If they were to have a meeting about updates drivers want, do they want more front end, do they want stiffer suspension, do they want changes on the steering wheel, etc, again Max is in those meetings and maybe Gasly too, but not Ricciardo.
Ricciardo is excluded from absolutely nothing when it comes to normal day to day business when it comes to getting the best out of this year's car.
So all the performance data, the upgrades, the every day marginal gains (most of which go into next year's car) he's kept fully up to date with? He's in the garage, looking at all the feeds, chatting with the engineers in detail about what they are working on and how that can help him? The discussions about where they are taking the car tomorrow, which strongly indicate where they will be taking the car next year, he's given all the details of?
Maybe he is. Maybe every driver that's leaving to go to a rival is. Maybe progress made this year has little relevance to next year. Maybe when Maclaren switched to Honda, Mercedes were quite happy to keep sharing every detail of their progress. Maybe Red Bull is doing the same with Renault. I honestly can't remember who I heard it from originally (I suspect it was Marc Priestly but I'm really not sure), but it makes a lot of sense. At the very least, who do you give the 'test mule' role to, if there was a new engine spec available but it was a bit dicey? Or the less optimal strategy? Would you choose the guy who you've made the face of my product for the next few years? Of the guy that's leaving you to go to a rival? Remember that there is no chance you can either gain or lose a place in the WCC.
drunkf1fan wrote: ↑17 Sep 2018, 13:11
Ricciardo just can't match Verstappen and unless Verstappen is busy making a silly mistake then Ricciardo just isn't on his level.
Verstappen is faster over a lap, no question. He's not great over a season though...not yet at least. Verstappen's speed also has nothing to do with Ricciardo being involved in the day-to-day or not.
I trust the person who planted the thought (I appreciate I've not provided evidence of who that was so don't expect others to do the same) and I think it makes sense in a business with such a vast amount of continuity and intellectual property to protect. If my points above haven't swayed you, let's agree to disagree.
2007 - Beats 2005 & 2006 WDC Alonso. 1-0
2008-09 - Beats Kovalainen. 2-0
2010-12 - Beats 2009 WDC Button. 2-1
2013-16 - Beats 2016 WDC Rosberg. 3-1
2017-21 - Beats Bottas. 5-0
2022-24 - Loses to Russell. 1-2 (but outscores him)
2025-?? - Leclerc. TBC
Just the car???