Red Bull boss blames girlfriend for F1 stars' downfall

A Red Bull boss has blamed a ‘girlfriend’ for being responsible for the downfall of certain Formula 1 stars.

Visa Cash App RB have made two mid-season driver swaps during the past couple of years, with Nyck de Vries dropped in 2023 which allowed Daniel Ricciardo to return to the sport.

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However, the Aussie star has failed to deliver consistently at RB in 2024, being outperformed by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Following speculation that the Singapore GP would be his last race, Ricciardo was axed by the team in favour of Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, who will replace Ricciardo for the remainder of the season.

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The reason for Ricciardo’s decline in performance has been widely debated since he was axed from McLaren at the end of 2022, with Christian Horner claiming he picked up ‘bad habits’ at the team.

On the other hand, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko claimed he no longer possessed his ‘killer instinct’, including his trademark late braking style and ‘uncompromising overtaking’.

Lawson’s promotion to F1 demonstrates Red Bull’s re-commitment to youth, after rival teams, such as Mercedes, have opted to sign younger talents like Kimi Antonelli.

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When asked in an interview with MotorSport-Total.com whether Marko was impressed by Antonelli, and if he could be the next Max Verstappen, the 81-year-old remained unconvinced.

"I was impressed by his speed," Marko said.

"Max is Max. [Antonelli] has to prove that first. He has to get results now."

When discussing whether Antonelli is a great talent Marko reveals it is ‘not guaranteed’, even if he has had an impressive junior career, claiming that many factors can cause a driver’s decline, including having a ‘girlfriend’.

"There is a driver who then loses his motivation, gets a girlfriend or loses his grip. It has all happened before," Marko added.

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