Daniel Ricciardo Turned Down Dream Mercedes Move Alongside …. read more 👇 full details in the comments sectionÂ
Former Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo was reportedly offered the chance to join Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team as the team-mate of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, according to Sky Sports F1 presenter Rachel Brookes. The revelation has sparked fresh discussion among Formula 1 fans about how different the sport’s history could have been had Ricciardo accepted the opportunity.
Ricciardo established himself as one of Formula 1’s most exciting and entertaining drivers during his first stint with Oracle Red Bull Racing between 2014 and 2018. During that period, the Australian claimed seven Grand Prix victories and twice finished third in the drivers’ championship standings. His aggressive overtaking style and charismatic personality quickly made him a fan favourite across the world.
However, Ricciardo’s strongest years coincided with Mercedes’ era of dominance. Between 2014 and 2020, Mercedes controlled Formula 1, with Hamilton and Nico Rosberg consistently leading the field. Rosberg eventually captured the 2016 world championship after an intense battle with Hamilton, but shocked the motorsport world by announcing his retirement immediately after winning the title.
Rosberg’s sudden exit left Mercedes searching for a replacement ahead of the 2017 season. The team eventually signed Valtteri Bottas from Williams, but Brookes has now claimed Ricciardo was actually offered the seat first. Had the Australian accepted, Formula 1 could have witnessed one of the strongest driver pairings in modern history.
In her book Drive, published by Michael O’Mara Books in May 2026, Brookes explained that Ricciardo had the opportunity to replace Rosberg at the dominant Mercedes team. She noted that although the Australian was under contract with Red Bull at the time, Formula 1 contracts can often be resolved if all parties are willing to negotiate.
According to Brookes, Ricciardo ultimately decided to remain with Red Bull instead of making the switch to Mercedes. That decision proved significant, as Mercedes went on to dominate the next four seasons, winning championships from 2017 through 2020 with Hamilton leading the way.
Rather than joining Mercedes, Ricciardo stayed at Red Bull for two additional seasons alongside teammate Max Verstappen. During that period, Verstappen increasingly became the central figure within the team, and Ricciardo later chose to leave Red Bull at the end of the 2018 season in a surprising move to Renault F1 Team.
At the time, many fans and analysts viewed the Renault move as a gamble. Ricciardo later transferred again to McLaren Formula 1 Team in 2021, just before the team began showing signs of improvement. Unfortunately for the Australian, his time at McLaren did not produce the success many expected, despite a memorable victory at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
Brookes used Ricciardo’s story to highlight how timing plays a huge role in Formula 1 careers. Even highly talented drivers can miss championship-winning opportunities simply by being with the wrong team at the wrong moment. She also referenced two-time world champion Fernando Alonso as another example of a driver whose career choices did not always align with the strongest cars on the grid.
Alonso himself once explained that success in Formula 1 often depends on being “in the right place at the right moment.” His move from Ferrari to McLaren in 2015 came during a difficult period for McLaren, preventing him from competing consistently for victories despite his talent.
Looking back, Ricciardo’s decision to reject Mercedes may remain one of Formula 1’s biggest “what if” stories. Many fans now wonder whether he could have challenged Hamilton for championships or added more victories to his career had he accepted the offer. Instead, Bottas became Hamilton’s teammate during one of Mercedes’ most dominant eras, while Ricciardo’s career took a very different path.