The story behind Ricciardo’s imperfect F1 farewell

Amid last week’s outpouring of love for Daniel Ricciardo as his Formula 1 exit became official, there was also unease from some about how his final weekend played out.

While Ricciardo was given that fastest lap opportunity as a farewell gift, received a guard of honour on his return to the RB motorhome post-race, and the great and the good said their goodbyes on Sunday night, there were plenty of people suggesting he did not get the full farewell that he deserved.

After all, if the paddock and the rest of the world had known properly that it was going to be Ricciardo’s final race for RB, then there could have been greater celebrations to mark the occasion.

That Ricciardo did not get such treatment is something that has been laid at the door of Red Bull and RB, amid the misbelief that they had kept the Australian in the dark about their intentions.

For that theory to stack up, however, it would have required Ricciardo to have known nothing about the plans to promote Liam Lawson with immediate effect – and that everything that happened in the days after Singapore came out of the blue.

But, according to insiders, the reality of how things evolved between Red Bull/RB and Ricciardo behind the scenes was very different to how it played out in public.

And like with most things in the complicated world of F1, there were a multitude of factors coming together that resulted in a weekend where, for both team and driver, the farewell was perhaps not as they may each have ultimately wished for.

Lawson option

The key driving force behind why Singapore became the crunch weekend is understood to have been an option in Lawson’s contract with Red Bull relating to his F1 future.

Liam Lawson, Reserve Driver, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Multiple sources have indicated that there was a September deadline for Red Bull to commit Lawson to an F1 seat for 2025, or else he would in effect become a free agent.

The New Zealander’s performance as Ricciardo’s stand-in for five races last year had impressed everyone in the paddock, and it is known that Sauber/Audi had been sniffing around him earlier in the season.

However, with Red Bull facing uncertainty over Sergio Perez’s performance, and aware that Max Verstappen’s commitment to the squad cannot be guaranteed for the long-term, there was a great reluctance to let Lawson go as he could potentially be someone Red Bull needs in its main squad sooner rather than later.

So with Red Bull/RB certain that Lawson was their man for the future, and that the September deadline meant a decision had to be made after Singapore, the real question was which team he would get drafted into and who he would replace.

The conclusion very quickly became that, while Perez has not been delivering all that had been hoped for, it was probably a step too far to expect Lawson to immediately step up as Verstappen’s team-mate.

That would have thrust him into an environment of ultra-high pressure with the risk that it could kill his career very quickly.

Attention therefore shifted to Ricciardo’s future at RB, with there being a feeling that the Australian had not hit the peaks that had been hoped for when he was signed for an F1 comeback in the middle of 2023.

Sure there had been some strong days – especially that fourth place in this year’s Miami sprint – but he and RB had not found a level of consistency to repeat that form regularly.

It is also important to remember that Ricciardo had been brought back to F1 not for what he could do for RB, but instead to audition for a return to Red Bull if Perez did not deliver.

And while the Mexican has had a disappointing campaign, Ricciardo’s own up-and-down performances for RB meant he never became an obvious candidate to step up and be guaranteed to do a better job.

So once Ricciardo was effectively no longer a Red Bull candidate, then he was always going to be up against it to convince RB to extend his contract beyond the end of this year.

From the viewpoint of Red Bull’s Helmut Marko, if he was not going to be a part of the family in 2025, then it made little sense to continue with him until the end of the season, especially as the squad needed answers about Lawson in case Perez’s situation continued to frustrate.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images

While long-time ally Red Bull team boss Christian Horner did all he could to delay the inevitable, and gave Ricciardo every opportunity he could to try to prove his worth, in the end even he had to accept that it was better that Lawson’s step up came for the US GP.

That decision was made several weeks ago, and it is understood that Ricciardo was informed of the outline plan over the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, giving him time to process matters ahead of the Singapore GP.

That news was kept out of the public domain though, with Red Bull having no desire to spread stories about Ricciardo being replaced and instead wanting to leave things up to the Australian in how to handle things.

There were also other factors at play, as Marko explained this week about why things were not announced by the team before the weekend – even though, in his own words, Ricciardo had been ‘informed’.

“[It was] related to a variety of factors and obligations,” said Marko. “You also have to pay attention to sponsors. He said very well that he is at peace with himself, and he has come to terms with the situation.”

Ricciardo’s last chance

What is not sure though is whether Ricciardo knew before Singapore he was definitely out, or that he was likely out.

Even as he spoke to the media on Thursday in Singapore, the eight-time grand prix winner offered only cryptic answers about his future, suggesting things were not set in stone.

Asked if contractually there was a scenario where Singapore could be his last race, Ricciardo said: “I don’t think so. But I also don’t want to stand here and be the lawyer. Look, I would say ‘no’. But also, we know how these sports work.

“People have not seen through a season before, so it’s nothing new in some ways. So I don’t want to also be like, ‘Oh, 100% I’ll bet all my house on it.’ I’ve been around too long.”

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images

Insiders have revealed, however, that a discussion with the Ricciardo camp took place ahead of the Singapore race weekend to suggest that, with the direction of travel clear in RB promoting Lawson, there could be some form of official joint Red Bull/Ricciardo announcement put out that this would be his final grand prix.

However, for reasons that are not entirely clear, things did not progress on this front.

It could be that Ricciardo did not want a whole lot of fuss made of him over the weekend. It could be that he did not want the distraction of career reflections. Or it could have been there were contractual matters that still needed sorting if things were not 100% agreed.

Or it may even have been him holding onto hope that a brilliant result on the streets of Singapore could have forced Red Bull’s hands in keeping him on.

Even if there was a 0.01% chance of him delivering a result to keep his seat, then it was something worth fighting for. Ricciardo has shown throughout his career that he is not someone who gives up in the face of adversity; so why get out the white flag now?

As he himself pointed out on Thursday evening: “What’s crazy about this sport is, and this is me just now, just kind of talking a bit of shit, but I go and get a podium this weekend, and then I’m probably the hottest thing in the sport.

“That’s the kind of the merry-go-round we’re on. And I know it can change so quickly.

“So look, I’m aware that things are hotting up, so to speak, but I just have to try and get my head down this weekend. And yeah, kick some arse.”

That latter scenario looked increasingly possible on Friday evening when Yuki Tsunoda ended up fourth fastest in second practice, and Ricciardo just two places further back, as the RB briefly looked well-suited to the Marina Bay circuit.

And even Marko himself suggested that all hope was not lost for Ricciardo.

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

Speaking to Sky Germany in Singapore about the situation that evening, Marko said: “He [Ricciardo] said that if he finishes on the podium, the situation will look completely different. I totally agree with him.”

This latter theory would also likely explain why Ricciardo’s demeanour seemed to change so much on Saturday evening, where his Q1 exit meant his fate was pretty much sealed.

Ricciardo’s ever-present smile was still there but you could tell there were times when he was having to force it. There were moments when he also had to bite his tongue.

Asked if the qualifying result had hurt more because it seemed after Friday there had been an opportunity for redemption, with Marko’s suggestion to media that a podium could have changed everything, Ricciardo reflected…

“You can’t just go from one race to another, like, that’s… that’s not okay,” he said. “I did think today was going to be okay. But, yeah, no, that’s… yeah. I’ll say no more.”

Time to say goodbye

By the time Sunday night came, and Ricciardo’s tyre strategy had failed as he found himself battling at the back, it was clear within his own head that this was it.

That explains why he was so willing to go for that late fastest lap and why, once the chequered flag was done and he took his gloves off in parc ferme, he sat still in the car for a while, soaking up his final moments as an F1 driver.

Even with no formal announcement about things, for those outside of Red Bull and the Ricciardo camp, what was happening was pretty obvious – it just needed the final confirmation.

Those who wanted to say goodbye to Ricciardo knew that Sunday night was the right moment, as even Lando Norris was seen popping into the RB garage late at night to say farewell to his former team-mate.

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, arrives at the track

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Could Ricciardo have had a better sending-off for his final F1 weekend? Absolutely. And based on the adulation that he received when the news became public, it would certainly have been a joyous and emotional occasion.

Would Ricciardo have liked that? Yes. Would Red Bull have wanted that? Certainly.

Hindsight offers 20/20 vision though, and the multitude of interconnecting factors – some of which contradicted each other – meant that the opportunity for that to happen slipped through the net.

And who knows, if both parties had their time again, then things may have been done differently.

But as Ricciardo himself pointed out on social media when news of his F1 exit became public, F1 throws at you both the good and the bad in equal measure.

“It’ll always have its highs and lows. But it’s been fun and truth be told I wouldn’t change it,” he said. “Until the next adventure.”