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'You're an idiot': Daniel Ricciardo reveals chilling call from Red Bull boss

Daniel Ricciardo feared his rapid rise into Formula One was over before it began after a chilling phone call from Red Bull's most powerful man.

The Australian famously convinced Red Bull he was worthy of the next step when he set blistering lap times at a test event late in 2010.

But the 29-year-old Renault driver has now revealed an unlucky break earlier that year almost ended his hopes of making it to Formula One.

The fate of prospective Red Bull drivers rest with Dr Helmut Marko, the Austrian in charge of the junior program that has also unearthed Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

The notoriously hard marker is known to be ruthless in his assessments – so when Ricciardo got on his bad side two years after their first meeting, he was worried.

"He was always very passionate. He cared. Because he cared so much he was also very hard and firm," Ricciardo said in a podcast with retired Mercedes world champion Nico Rosberg.

"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."

Daniel Ricciardo's career came down to Helmut Marko's assessment. Pic: Getty
Daniel Ricciardo's career came down to Helmut Marko's assessment. Pic: Getty

Marko's most painful phone call came before the 2010 season, when a 20-year-old Ricciardo was one of the favourites to take out the Formula Renault 3.5 Series championship.

"About two weeks before the test – and we only had two tests, so it was limited – basically I had a crash on my mountain bike and fractured my wrist," he said.

"I knew I couldn't do the first test. I could hardly move my hand. But I flew to Jerez in Spain to try and show that I was going to at least try.

"I did the outlap and came straight back to the pits. I just said 'sorry guys, I can't'. Then my phone rings.

"Helmut: 'What happened?' and I was like 'I really tried, I couldn't, I'm so sorry but I'll let it heal and don't worry I'll be ready for the first race'."

Rosberg jumped in: "Did you think that was it for me and Red Bull?"

That's when Ricciardo revealed the memorable three words.

"I knew it was going to be tough because the next words were, a lot of silence, then 'you're an idiot' and hung up," he said.

Daniel Ricciardo pictured in 2010 before he became a Red Bull Formula One driver. Pic: Getty
Daniel Ricciardo pictured in 2010 before he became a Red Bull Formula One driver. Pic: Getty

"He could've gone and said you're an f'n this and an f'n that – that would've been easier – but just 'you're an idiot' and then he hung up...

"I did the next test at Magny-Cours, it was probably about 10 days later, and I remember all the hairpins, I couldn't get enough rotation with my wrist so I was just like one-handed."

All's well that end's well, however.

"I got pole in the first race so that was alright," Ricciardo finished.

He went on to make his Formula One debut with backmarkers HRT in 2011 after a more measured response from Marko proved to be a good sign.

After setting times that beat Vettel and Mark Webber during a young drivers’ testing week in November 2010, Ricciardo waited to hear news on his future.

"(Marko) didn't say 'wow, you were faster than Sebastian and Mark' – he just said 'well done'," the then 21-year-old said at the time.