Daniel Ricciardo F1 fairytale officially ends

Yesterday at 06:10 PM

The 2024 Singapore Grand Prix was the last race of Daniel Ricciardo's Formula One (F1) career.

The Visa Cash App RB (VCARB) F1 team has confirmed the 35-year-old's immediate departure meaning the hugely popular Australian will not be in the car for next month's United States Grand Prix, to be replaced by New Zealander Liam Lawson.

“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us … Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile,” Visa Cash App RB Team Principal, Laurent Mekies said in a written statement.

“He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.”

The perennially smiling Ricciardo finished Singapore in a lowly 18th place – last on the road – not knowing if he would ever race in F1 again, admitting he would treat it as his final Grand Prix despite not being told by his team one way or the other.

When Ricciardo was asked ahead of the Singapore race if he'd be in the car for the rest of the season, he replied, "I wouldn't bet my house on it."

The rumours followed comments from Helmut Marko – a director and advisor of both Red Bull Racing and Ricciardo's now former Visa Cash App RB F1 team – who told media news on whether the Australian would continue driving would be shared after the Singapore race.

The contracts of all three other drivers across the two Red Bull teams had already been locked in, with Max Verstappen under contract until 2028 while Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda's deals were renewed ahead of the European summer break in August 2024.

This left Ricciardo as the only driver of the four not locked in to race in 2025.

Ironically, Ricciardo's lowly Singapore race position enabled him to help championship leader Verstappen's bid for a fourth consecutive world title against race winner Lando Norris.

The Australian pitted on Lap 58 of the 62-lap Singapore race for new tyres and – with a low fuel load – set the fastest lap of the race and a new record in his final F1 drive.

In doing so, Ricciardo snatched the fastest lap from former McLaren team-mate Norris to deny him an additional world championship point as he narrowed the deficit to Verstappen with six Grands Prix remaining.

When told about Ricciardo's fastest lap, Verstappen – who was second in the race – said "Thanks Daniel" over the team radio.

Despite finishing 18th, Ricciardo won the fan-voted 'Driver of the Day' in what appeared to be a fond farewell from followers, while his team gave him a symbolic 'guard of honour' as he returned to the pits after the chequered flag.

"Typically the 'Driver of the Day' thing is maybe not something us drivers look too much into, but today I can say it’s something I’m appreciative of so that one means a little something," Ricciardo told F1 TV.

"Obviously there was a lot of emphasis on this weekend and I would have loved a better weekend – who knows if that would have changed anything or if the decision’s been made already, even prior to the weekend."

Liam Lawson (below) has since been confirmed as Ricciardo's replacement alongside Yuki Tsunoda at Visa Cash App RB F1.

Lawson stood in for Ricciardo after a crash in practice ruled the Australian out of the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix with a broken hand, the Kiwi driver taking part in five races for a best-placed ninth in that year's Singapore Grand Prix.

The crash was a setback to Ricciardo's return to F1, having replaced Nyck de Vries only two races earlier after having his contract at McLaren terminated early at the end of 2022 in favour of Oscar Piastri.

Having made his debut in 2011, the Australian leaves F1 with eight Grand Prix victories to his name – and highest placing of third in the drivers' world championship in both 2014 and 2016 – after taking his first win at the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix.

Seven of those eight wins came at Red Bull Racing, where by joining its sister team in 2023 Ricciardo was hoping to return in place of an under-pressure Sergio Perez – a move which didn't eventuate.

“I wanted to try and fight back at the front and get back with Red Bull. Obviously, it didn’t come to fruition, so then I also have to ask myself the question ‘what else can I achieve? What else is there to really go for?” Ricciardo told F1 TV.

"Sometimes you’ve got to see a big picture and I always said, ‘I don’t just want to be a guy that’s here on the grid and fighting for a point every now and then’, which has kind of been how this year’s gone.

"I put my best foot forward. Let’s say maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I also have to look back on what’s been 13 or so years and I’m proud."

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