Ricciardo: "You just have to listen and suck it up"
F1 News
- Jake Williams-Smith
Daniel Ricciardo has opened up on the relationship he endured with Dr Helmut Marko during his time as a Red Bull driver.
Head of driver development for Red Bull, Marko is notoriously unforgiving when it comes to the team's young drivers, with a brand of tough love and high expectations a huge weight on a drivers shoulders.
The Australian made a surprise move away from Red Bull where he had spent much of his F1 career racing for after a stint with Toro Rosso and HRT prior, switching to Renault for 2019.
Speaking on Nico Rosberg's Beyond Victory podcast, Ricciardo explained the relationship with Marko and how his brand of tough love didn't always appeal highly to him.
"He was always very passionate," Ricciardo explained.
"He cared and because he cared so much he was also very hard and firm. Every time I finished a conversation with him on the phone, I knew where I stood and what he expected so it certainly made me grow up quick.
"I respect him a lot for that. It wasn't always nice seeing his name pop up. 'Do I really want to answer it?'
"But you're like if I don't answer it now I'm just going to have to do it later. Sometimes you just have to listen and nod and suck it up."