Daniel Ricciardo did everything right during the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix but he had to settle for second place thanks to a bizarre pit stop call from his team Red Bull Racing.
The Australian was on fire the entire race weekend. He ranked first in all three qualifying sessions with a time of 1:13.622. On race day, the start was taken behind a safety car with all the drivers on full wet tires. They were allowed to begin racing on lap seven, where Ricciardo did well to defend his lead under pressure from Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
Everything was going smoothly for the Aussie until lap 32 when he was called into the pits to take on a new set of slick tires. A last-second change of mind by his engineers, however, saw the 33-year-old lose precious seconds while waiting for his crew to fetch the right tires.
The extra time spent in the pit lane proved costly for Ricciardo, as Hamilton capitalized by taking the lead and protecting it till the end.
It was a double blow for Daniel Ricciardo, as he was denied a spot on the podium in the previous race in Spain due to his team deciding to pit him before his then-teammate Max Verstappen.
Speaking about the 2016 Monaco GP, he told the In the Fast Lane podcast:
“I was filthy, that’s how I’d describe it. It was filthy dark. Barcelona, the team pitted me from the lead, Max ended up staying out and winning the race, and I dropped to fourth. So I was already coming into Monaco with a bit of anger.”
Daniel Ricciardo stated that he did not want to be behind the wheel of his car during the closing stages of the race. Hey said:
“I vividly remember driving the later part of that race, and I knew I wasn’t going to pass Lewis unless he made a big mistake. I’ve still got images of driving through turn seven (and) turn eight and definitely not wanting to be there.”
Daniel Ricciardo opens up on leaving Red Bull in 2018, calls it ‘a little bit of a gamble on myself’
Many believe that the events of the 2016 Formula 1 season started a domino effect that ended with Daniel Ricciardo breaking ties with the Red Bull Racing team in 2018.
While he has never spoken publicly about the exact reasons behind the move, Ricciardo recently defended his decision and stated that he needed a change of atmosphere. He told the Beyond the Grid podcast:
“It’s not a sure thing that it would have been great if I stayed. I don’t look back and say, ‘Man, I shouldn’t have [left].’ But, of course, I can be honest with myself and say, ‘Yeah, I took a little bit of a gamble on myself.'”
Things have come full circle for Daniel Ricciardo now, as he has returned to Red Bull for the 2023 season following stints with Renault and McLaren. However, he will not be seen racing as he has signed up to be the team’s reserve and simulator driver.
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