This week saw the 2024 season come to an abrupt end for Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo as RB announced his departure from the team. What does this mean for the fan favourite Aussie?
The 2024 Singapore Grand Prix marked the last of 257 race starts for Ricciardo and was an emotional weekend for the Australian who anticipated his departure from the sport. In an interview with Sky Sports F1 Daniel said “I have to be prepared for this maybe being it” as he reflected upon his performance across the race weekend. He finished P18, managed to secure the fastest lap of the race, as well as driver of the day, but in reality this was not enough for the team and by Thursday his immediate departure was confirmed.
Image Credit – @danielricciardo via Instagram
Despite his shock departure Daniel leaves behind a legacy in Formula One. His extensive F1 career includes 8 race wins and 32 podiums, expanding across 6 different teams, for 14 years, from 2011 until 2024. His most successful period was at Red Bull Racing where he won 7 races and was the only real challenger against dominant constructors Mercedes at the time. After 5 years with Red Bull, Ricciardo left the team to join French constructors Renault where he stayed for 2 years before embracing his papaya years with McLaren. During his time with the British team he secured their first win since 2012 in a one-two finish with his teammate, Lando Norris, at the iconic track of Monza in 2021. This win was very much the last taste of victory for Ricciardo as in recent years he has struggled. In 2022 it was announced he would leaving McLaren with no real destination and more importantly – without a seat in the sport.
Ricciardo was given a life-line to return to F1 mid-season last year – replacing Dutch driver Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri. Filling this role meant he had to perform race after race to secure vital points for the struggling team. Unfortunately, luck was against him and a broken hand saw him out of the car for a few races. Reserve driver at the time, Liam Lawson from New Zealand, took over whilst Ricciardo recovered. Lawson made quite the impression and is now the driver set to take over Ricciardo’s seat for the remainder of the 2024 season – his first race being in Austin next month.
Daniel did not only contribute to the sport through his impressive driving abilities but he was known for being one of the biggest personalities on the grid. The Australian always has a huge grin on his face and got up to all sorts of chaos in the paddock, from iconic sayings to memorable celebrations; Daniel Ricciardo has certainly left an impression on the sport and on all of those involved. Known as the honey badger, he was true to himself and many would say the comedian of the drivers, his bubbly character will go down in Formula One history and the sport will miss him greatly.
Image credit – Motorsport images
The love for Daniel as a driver and as a person was evident throughout his fanbase and his fellow colleagues as many paid tribute to Ricciardo after the announcement he would be leaving the sport. Drivers flooded him with support messages including seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton via an Instagram post dedicated to Ricciardo himself. Hamilton said “it’s been a honour to compete with you over the years. I’ll never forget the battles, the laughs, and drinking out of your shoe”. Former Red Bull teammate and now close friend of Daniel’s, Max Verstappen, also shared his support leaving the comment “Head up mate! Many more beautiful moments to come”. Other drivers along with teams and F1 media personnel showed their appreciation for the Perth-born driver and wished him the best for the future.
Even though Ricciardo was a well known name in the world of Formula One it is believed he deserved more in terms of a send off. The weekend was an unknown for all and even as he walked out of the paddock on Sunday night it was still undecided of where Daniel Ricciardo stood, would he be back in Austin for the next grand prix or was that his last time in an F1 car? Speaking with Sky Sports F1 on their podcast Matthew Gallagher claimed “He deserved a lot more from the team, in terms of clarity. Not just himself, but everyone that supports him”. Daniel Ricciardo deserved a proper goodbye from the sport he has been a part of for so long and instead he is left to wonder will this half-hearted goodbye be it or will he be back for more?
Image Credit – @F1 via Instagram
