Jolyon Palmer thinks Daniel Ricciardo’s ‘character’ must have ‘come at a cost’ during his F1 career

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Daniel Ricciardo was, and still is, one of the most loved and popular figures in the Formula 1 world, but Jolyon Palmer thinks his media persona could have cost him during his career.

With eight wins and 32 podiums, the Australian had a successful spell in F1, displaying strong pace along with some daring overtakes. Alongside his ability on track, he endeared himself to fans worldwide, being hugely popular through Netflix’s Drive to Survive.

Oscar Piastri has Ricciardo in his top-four favourite drivers of all time. The Aussie watched his fellow countryman before he replaced him at McLaren in 2023.

Jolyon Palmer wonders if Daniel Ricciardo’s ‘character’ cost him in Formula 1

Ricciardo’s personality shone through the F1 paddock, bringing positive energy to Red Bull and everyone in the sport. However, Palmer has questioned how important that actually is to a driver and whether that cost him on the track.

He said via F1 Nation: “My one thing is, because I was thinking when you talk like media personalities, how people are in front of the camera, and Daniel Ricciardo is someone that springs to mind.

“What a character. When things are going well, and Danny Ric’s in happy, bubbly Danny Ric-style, you’re thinking this guy is really bringing in an extra energy and vibrancy around Red Bull, particularly in those days.

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“With all of it though, you have to think, how much of that is actually important for a racing driver? It’s important for their own personal brand, but if I’m a team looking to sign someone…

“I guess the brand is important, so Lewis brings a huge amount to Ferrari, and Danny Ric in the past would have brought a lot in terms of characters and personality, but it doesn’t necessarily help you on the track.

“So there’s a sort of split there with, it’s nice to have someone with a big personality and waltzes into Austin on a horse, great. That’s coming at the cost of something else though. It’s trying to find the balance between it all.”

READ MORE: Daniel Ricciardo’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Daniel Ricciardo is ‘grateful’ for his Formula 1 exit in 2024

Ricciardo’s career did not end the way that many perhaps would have expected. He made the shock decision to leave Red Bull for Renault in 2019.

Ricciardo claims he was not ‘running’ from Max Verstappen when he decided to leave the team. He saw an opportunity at Renault, but that relationship lasted just two years before he moved to McLaren.

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Jolyon Palmer has already had his say!

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This proved to be a mistake as he could not adapt at the Woking outfit, despite a rare victory at Monza in 2021, before leaving the sport at the end of 2022. Midway through 2023, he joined AlphaTauri and retained his seat in 2024 with the newly rebranded Racing Bulls.

His time in F1 came to an end after the Singapore GP as he struggled for consistency. Ricciardo was ‘grateful’ for Racing Bulls dropping him, as he lost a lot of himself after losing his seat multiple times in the past few years.