Few Formula 1 drivers are as recognizable and beloved as Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian Italian with the devilish eyes and roguish smile is an easy man to root for (and against). Unfortunately, his career is most likely over after he was replaced by another driver following the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Will he race again?
He was released by Red Bull Racing and it’s looking right now like Singapore was his final race ever as an F1 driver. His options are basically to either remain as one of the backup pool drivers or simply move on. Considering he’s been a main racer for a number of times, that just doesn’t feel likely.
Even at the Singapore Grand Prix, rumors were already swirling that he was done. When asked by media about his future plans and whether it involved professional racing, he gave a somber reply.
“It’s hard, even talking about just being in the sport and maybe fighting for a 10th place every now and then.”
He then made the honest appraisal that doing another series of races will likely yield the same results, and that he’s already “been there and experienced the highest of the highs.”
Considering he’s pondering whether anything else in life will give him the same fulfillment, chances are high we won’t see him racing again, at least in Formula 1.
In his likely final act as a competitor, he stole the bonus point for the fastest lap of the race away from Lando Norris, helping out his rival Max Verstappen, who drives for Red Bull (Ricciardo drives for sister team RB).
“If Max wins by a point then I just guaranteed myself a nice Christmas present,” Ricciardo said after the race.
He sat in his car for a long time when the race ended, probably savoring the final moments of a sprawling lifetime career. When he finally exited the vehicle, people lined up on the way to applaud him.
He admitted that he had wanted to work his way back to Red Bull, but realized that was simply not going to happen. RB team principal Laurent Mekies praised Ricciardo, saying he “brought a lot of experience and talent to the team with a fantastic attitude,” which helped to “develop and foster a tight team spirit.”
“Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile,” Mekies said. “He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.”
Ricciardo, 35, was immediately replaced by Liam Lawson, 22, a youngster who made his Grand Prix debut last year in Zandvoort when Ricciardo suffered an injury.
Over his 14 professional seasons, Ricciardo has won eight races, the last being in Monza back in 2021 when he was driving for McLaren. He was given the full-time seat for RB just this year, but he only finished with points three times through 18 races.
His career best was placing third in 2014 and 2016, during years when Mercedes dominated the sport. He became a well-known figure after being prominently featured in the Netflix hit show Drive to Survive, but he said he has no plans to move to America and pursue racing there. In fact, he said he doesn’t really know what he’s going to do next.
He did take the time to welcome Lawson to the team and pass the torch. “It’s great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step,” he said. “We’re looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together.”
Published: Sep 27, 2024 08:01 am