Daniel Ricciardo’s Heartbreaking Interview After Singapore GP

Daniel Ricciardo, multiple F1 race winner and beloved fan favourite, couldn’t help but feel emotional during a post-Singapore GP interview as it looked to have been his final race in the sport.

Ricciardo has been involved in many recent rumours that he would be dropped from the RB Formula One Team in place of Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson with a hanfdul of races to go in the 2024 season.

The 35-year-old Aussie found himself struggling for words when asked about his thoughts on what lies ahead of him in the coming weeks, unable to show the bright smile the world was accustomed to seeing.

He took his time getting out of his VCARB 01 cockpit after a P18 finish, admitting that he was just “savoring the moment.”

Daniel Ricciardo Discusses His F1 Future

He knows the Singapore GP could’ve been his last-ever race

About his future, a clearly emotional Ricciardo said: “I’m aware it could be it. It’s like a flood of many feelings, emotions and exhaustion. The cockpit is something I got very used to for many years. Just wanted to savour the moment.”

While there is no confirmation that the driver change will happen, Ricciardo’s behaviour looks to suggest that the rumours may prove true very soon. This would be a massive turnaround from earlier in the year when the Australian was said to be in line to take over Sergio Perez’s place at Red Bull Racing. Yet, the Mexican was re-signed for two more years despite many calls to drop him. Now, with Lawson waiting for a promised and deserved shot at F1, combined with Ricciardo being outperformed all year by teammate Yuki Tsunoda, the writing looks to be set in stone.

Daniel Ricciardo’s Career in Formula 1

The Australian has been one of the greatest characters and drivers in recent history

The end of Ricciardo’s time as a part of the F1 grid will be the loss of not only one of the most successful drivers in recent times, but also one of the brightest personalities to grace the paddock. A happy-go-lucky, fun-loving man with a trademark smile, the Honey Badger is a beloved figure for fans, staff, and fellow drivers. His charismatic presence is one that will absolutely be missed.

When it came to the track, the Perth-native was a force to be reckoned with, a ruthless overtaker who was almost always the last on the brakes and surprising opponents with dive-bomb attacks. As he said himself: “Licking the stamp and sending it.”

Brought up as part of the Red Bull Academy, he made his debut for HRT midway through the 2011 season and spent two years with RB (then known as Toro Rosso) before being promoted to the main Red Bull squad at the dawn of the hybrid era.

The year 2014 was his coming of age, though, as a young Ricciardo flourished in his first time as a front-runner, winning multiple races and emerging as a regular podium contender for the next five years. Even during his following two years at a less competitive Renault, he continued to maintain his excellence.

An ill-fated move to McLaren in 2021 looked to be the catalyst that saw Ricciardo’s career come to an end. Despite a shock win at Monza 2021, he looked a complete shell of his usual self and under-performed massively with a car that he could not gel with. Such was the state of the situation that both team and driver mutually agreed to part ways at the end of 2022 before his contract expired.

A last-second rescue by Red Bull to bring him back into the fold turned into a comeback when he was called to replace Nyck de Vries partway through the 2023 season, with a view to possibly taking over for Perez. Alas, the dream comeback may have fallen short.

If it truly is over, Singapore will be a low-key way to sign off a career that deserves to be celebrated in a much more fitting way.

F1’s social media channels were flooded with posts and comments with nothing but love for the Honey Badger and sadness at what looked to be the final curtain call. The most beautiful message came from Sky Sports analyst Ted Kravitz, who gave a lovely farewell to the Australian during his Ted’s Notebook segment post-race.

At the very least, he would leave with one last show of his speed, snatching the fastest lap of the Singapore GP to deny race winner and former teammate Lando Norris an additional point, something that Red Bull and close friend Max Verstappen appreciated very much. And something that may earn him a better Christmas gift if the Dutchman holds on to his championship by the end of the year.