When uncertainty grew as to whether Daniel Ricciardo would extend his contract at Red Bull beyond this season, teams came calling.

However, when boss Christian Horner revealed that a new deal was close to being agreed, it seemed the Australian was staying put.

As we now know, that proved to be far from the case.

That’s because Ricciardo has decided to make the switch to Renault, meaning his fourth season with Red Bull will prove to be his last.

The 29-year-old is currently fifth in the drivers’ championship after picking up two victories and his choice to move to Renault has shocked much of the F1 world.

What’s unclear is what exactly swayed Ricciardo’s decision to move there but what is for certain is that Renault had to see off competition to claim his services.

Despite interest from Mercedes and Ferrari, it was McLaren who also held talks with the Perth-born racer at the same time as his new constructors.

The latter are currently seventh in the team standings, three places and 30 points adrift of Renault and CEO Zak Brown has revealed that he was ‘pretty close’ to signing Ricciardo.

The 46-year-old, who has been at McLaren since 2016, also confirmed that multiple meetings took place and that a deal was discussed.

However, it appears the recent form of the side proved to be the key factor standing in the way of the proposed move.

"We had a couple of meetings and we are big fans of Daniel,” Brown told RACER, as per F1 Today.

“I think he’s a great guy, I think he’s a great race car driver. How close we came to getting him, I think only Daniel knows the answer to that question. Had we been running more competitively I think that would have increased our odds.

“I think he had a strong desire to leave and I think it was probably pretty close between us and Renault, but ultimately Daniel would be best to tell you how close. But he was certainly someone that we rate very highly and think he’s a great race car driver and a great guy."

With Ricciardo leaving Red Bull, there has been some suggestion it could make way for Fernando Alonso to take his place after recent uncertainty regarding his future at McLaren.

However, when asked about the prospect, Brown claimed that he doesn’t think Red Bull’s latest departure will impact Alonso’s decision to leave them.

"I think it’s thrown a spanner in the works for some other teams but we’ve got a plan which we are executing against which Ricciardo’s move doesn’t impact,” he added.

"Red Bull is a great racing team but I think Fernando has got what he wants to do in the back of his mind. Never say never, but I don’t think it changes anything in Fernando’s world."