A visibly emotional Daniel Ricciardo appeared in Singapore as if he had just driven his final grand prix – but if that was the case, he certainly went out with flair. The well-liked Australian, a winner of eight races, is anticipated to be let go by his RB team before the next race in Austin. After Sunday's race, he did not refute the rumors and spoke as though he had accepted the end of his Formula One career. He remained seated in his car for an extended period after finishing 18th on Sunday, later admitting: “A lot of emotions. I am aware it could be it. Just exhausted after the race, so a flood of emotions and feelings and exhaustion. Just wanted to savour the moment.”
However, there was also pride in the 35-year-old’s voice as he demonstrated one final glimpse of his former brilliance with the fastest lap of the day, a feat that was warmly acknowledged by the F1 fans who voted their former favorite as the driver of the day. This achievement was also greatly appreciated by his former Red Bull championship-chasing teammate Max Verstappen, who thanked him over the radio for securing the fastest-lap point from McLaren title rival and race winner Lando Norris, which could prove pivotal in the battle for the world championship. “If Max wins by a point then I just guaranteed myself a nice Christmas present,” Ricciardo said on Sky Sports. To which, Verstappen responded cheerfully: “He can ask for whatever he wants.”
The Dutchman, Ricciardo’s teammate at Red Bull from 2016-2018, also offered what seemed like a heartfelt F1 farewell, adding: “He will be remembered as a great driver, as a great person, and he has a great character. It’s very rare someone hates him. In a few years’ time when I won’t be here anymore, we will sit back and have a beer and remember all those years together.” There was a significant sense of poignancy as Ricciardo, who is set to be replaced by New Zealand reserve Liam Lawson, later said: “If it is [my last race], I guess a nice way to say ‘adios’. I am not too sure what the plan is, but I mean, look, I’ve obviously got a good idea.” His team was also not denying the possibility, as an RB spokesperson explained that “if it was to be his last race, we wanted him to go out on a high.”
Ricciardo has faced challenges since moving to McLaren, then being dropped in favor of the emerging talent of Oscar Piastri. This year, he has been outperformed by his RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda. “I always said I didn’t want to come back [after McLaren] just to be on the grid – I wanted to fight at the front and get back with Red Bull,” he said. “It didn’t come to fruition. I also have to ask myself the question of what else could I achieve and what else is there to really go for? I put my best foot forward and maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I also have to look back on what it’s been, 13 or so years. I’m proud.”
