In the podcast following the Russian Grand Prix, recorded after Red Bull had announced the driver swap involving Max Verstappen and Daniil Kvyat, Mat Coch opined that countryman Daniel Ricciardo should leave the Austrian team at season end.

Having seen the way fellow Australian Mark Webber had been nudged out of the spotlight following the arrival of Sebastian Vettel, Coch feared that history was due to repeat itself as the team now focusses on Verstappen.

Remember, this was before Max' fairy tale debut in Barcelona.

Whatever the whys and wherefores, in successive races, Red Bull has - to use Daniel's own phrase - "screwed" the Australian, and in the full glare of the media spotlight.

In Spain it was a change of tyre strategy, in Monaco it was the failure to have a set of tyres to change.

From the euphoria of Saturday, when Ricciardo had taken pole with a lap that impressed his keenest rivals, the usually likeable, upbeat Australian was a broken man as he stood on the podium twenty-four hours later.

"How do I feel? Like I have been run over by an 18-wheel truck for the second week in a row," he told reporters, the pain etched on his face.

This wasn't the petulant reaction we've come to expect from some of his rivals, this was the heartfelt feeling of a man who had given 100% only to be kicked in the teeth - and he has so many of them - by his team.

"I took Barcelona on the chin, but two in a row? And especially here at Monaco.

"It wasn't my call, it was the team's call " he added, making it crystal clear that it was the team that made the decision to pit, and not a late call by the driver himself. "I told them after the race that nothing they can say will make me feel better."

"Unfortunately, the set of tyres we called for were at the back of the garage so there was a scramble," admitted team boss Christian Horner. "They had the soft tyre ready and when the call came they couldn't get the tyres to the car, which probably cost 10 seconds."

And those "ten seconds" were the difference between victory at the most prestigious event on the F1 calendar, and second, 'first of the losers' as the saying goes.

For a team which has a ruthless reputation when it comes to its drivers should they fail to perform, heads should roll for yesterday's failure.

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to "screw up" once may be regarded as a misfortune, to "screw up" twice looks like carelessness."

And all this on a day when the team that spent most of last year, and some of this year, threatening to leave the sport, unless it got the engine supply it wanted, having publicly rubbished Renault, signed a new two-year deal with the French manufacturer.

Though his options are limited, certainly in terms of teams providing him with a winning car, Daniel Should follow Mat Coch's advice and get out.

Max is the golden boy now Daniel, learn from Mark and get out now.

Chris Balfe

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Stitch431, 01/06/2016 6:30

"@TokyoAussie: Ricciardo was already on a three stopper from the moment he came in for fresh tyres at the first stop. From that moment on it was simply not possible to go for a two stopper. Verstappen came in several laps later and was already on the edge of the impossible with his tyres at the end of the race. Therfore it would not have been possible for Ricciardo to do a twostopper. Not even the most experienced experts expected that Verstappen to drive on to the end with his last set as he stopped in lap 34 and also according to Pirelli, a twostopper would only be possible from lap 39 onwards. Therefore it was not possible for Ricciardo to make a two stopper as he simply burned his tyres to soon in the first stint."

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2. Posted by TokyoAussie, 31/05/2016 14:53

"I can agree with some points and disagree with others.

Red Bull very clearly put the wrong car on a 3-stopper in Spain. Ricciardo was already ahead and that strategy put him behind, needing to pass on a track which is notoriously difficult for passing. I don't go so far as to say it was deliberately favouring Vestappen. I think it was more a case of Red Bull strategy ineptitude. Remember that Ferrari made the same blunder with Vettel. Sure, split strategies, but don't disadvantage the guy in front.

Fast forward to Monaco. If Red Bull were going to favour Vestappen openly, he would have got the new spec engine. It's not like Silverstone when RB took the new front wing off Webber and gave it to Vettel, after Vettel had destroyed his wing. I think Ricciardo should have got the new engine, and he did, so I don't see any bias one way or the other, yet.

The strategy calls during the Monaco race, though, are cringe worthy. The swap to Inters was borderline (conservative) and opened the door for Hamilton. Monaco is the ultimate match race, if such a thing exists in motor racing. You just don't go off on a tangent; you simply cover the opposition, even if it takes longer to get to the chequered flag. The second pit stop will go down in history as one of the major blunders ever in Monaco.

Most pundits give Red Bull generally positive evaluations on strategy. For mine, ever since the Jaguar days, their strategy calls have been iffy. Monaco was simply the worst.

It may well be that Ricciardo will have to leave RB, but there are still many races to go this year. Canada could very well decide that matter. "

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3. Posted by Stitch431, 31/05/2016 6:17

"I am with you here Rhaycen. In Barcelona Daniel burnt his tyres in the first stint already so much faster, that from the moment he came into the pit it was clear that a two stopper was not possible anymore. Pirelli already before the race showed that under normal circumstances, a two stopper would only be feasible from lap 39 onwards. Verstappen did an exceptional job maniging his tyres and won because of this. Daniel did not loose here because of the team strategy but because of his own tyre management. Monaco was clearly the fault of the team, Barcelona was not."

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4. Posted by Rhaycen, 31/05/2016 5:23

"While there can be no doubt that the event at Monaco was a huge blunder by the team, I do think it goes a little too far to blame the team for what happened in Spain.

All the data they had said that a 3 stop strategy was slightly faster, so when Vettel seemed to go for a 3 stop it made plenty sense to switch to a 3 stop with their primary driver. Daniel seems to assume that he would have just won the race if they had left him on a 2 stop, but he couldn't keep his tires in one piece with a 3 stop.

Normally I like Ricciardo, and I totally understand his anger about what happened in Monaco. His team cost him a certain victory, but Spain ... what happened there made perfect sense. "

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5. Posted by JackTheCat, 30/05/2016 20:55

"Riccardio would be good fit for Merc, but will there be a seat? I can't see him at Ferrari while Vettel is there! "

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6. Posted by Yeyox02, 30/05/2016 20:03 (moderated by an Adminstrator, 30/05/2016 20:48)

"This comment was removed by an administrator as it was judged to have broken the site's posting rules and etiquette."

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7. Posted by scf1fan, 30/05/2016 19:52

"The three Amigos might be looking somewhere to place the blame if they can't win a champioship. (And it looks like the Renaults (Err . . . TAG Heuers) don't suck this year. Watch your back Danny, you seem to be one of the more likeable guys in the circus.) "

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8. Posted by Jonno, 30/05/2016 13:51

"Danny is not driving for a racing team, he's part of a product placement company. The Red Bullies will do whatever it takes to get headlines, if that means Danny get second billing, so be it. He should take the money, keep his trap shut and hope he becomes only the second RB driver who gets to drive for another team, if and when he leaves.
"

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