Daniel Ricciardo, one of the most popular and likeable drivers on the Formula 1 grid, was released by Red Bull Racing on Thursday and will be immediately replaced by Liam Lawson.
At Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix, Ricciardo, 35, knew it was likely his last race in F1. This feeling was confirmed when his RB team brought him into the pits before the last lap to give the Australian the opportunity to set the best lap of the race.
Ricciardo reached the mark — he took a bonus point away from leading title contender Lando Norris and indirectly helped Max Verstappen in his quest for a fourth consecutive drivers’ championship — then sat inside his car for an unusually long time after the race, savoring his final moments.
When he finally started to return to the paddock, the Australian had to pass through a sort of guard of honor made up of supporters lined up to applaud him.
Ricciardo admitted on Sunday that it was likely his last race, explaining that he had hoped to use his time at RB to make the case for a return to the main Red Bull team, but that he was not didn’t get the “fairy tale ending” he wanted.
“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work over the past two seasons,” said RB Team Director Laurent Mekies.
“He brought a lot of experience and talent to the team, with a fantastic attitude, which helped everyone develop and foster a close-knit team spirit.
“Daniel was a true gentleman, both on and off the track, and he never lost his smile. We will miss him, but he will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.”
Ricciardo has won eight races in 14 seasons, with his last victory coming at Monza in 2021 when he won behind the wheel of McLaren. He was acquired by McLaren after the 2022 season and has been tapped to return to Red Bull as a team ambassador.
This led to him competing in seven races in 2023 with sister team Red Bull. Ricciardo was handed the seat full-time for 2024, but in 18 races he has only finished in the points three times.
His best championship results were third places in 2014 and 2016 — two years when Mercedes dominated the season and Ricciardo, then at Red Bull, was effectively the best of the rest.
Verstappen’s arrival at Red Bull midway through the 2016 season saw Ricciardo gradually move into a supporting role. His career stagnated after a stint with Renault in 2019, and after moving to McLaren in 2021 he was vastly outclassed by Norris.
Ricciardo has had a lasting impact on F1 as one of the faces of the sport’s rise in the United States, driven by the Netflix series ‘Drive To Survive’. But he has never expressed any interest in American motorsport and said in Singapore last weekend that IndyCar racing on oval circuits “scared” him.
He doesn’t know what awaits him.
“When I came to F1, everyone knew me as the happy guy and the nice guy, but I have a killer instinct,” he said in the first episode filmed during the 2018 season. “I I really believe that I can be a world champion and for me it’s like asking myself, ‘Why else would I do this?’
Lawson, originally from New Zealand, will finish the season at RB alongside Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson competed in five F1 races last year and his best result was a ninth place as a substitute when Ricciardo broke his hand in a crash.
Lawson has been Red Bull’s reserve driver since 2022 and made his Grand Prix debut at Zandvoort last year, when Ricciardo was injured. In his five races, he scored points for the team and finished ninth at the Singapore Grand Prix.
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Associated Press sports writer James Ellingworth contributed to this article
