Daniel Ricciardo is on the verge of getting replaced in the Team RB with reports claiming Liam Lawson is set the take the Aussie’s seat as early as the next race in Austin, USA.
At the conclusion of the race in Singapore, Ricciardo was visibly emotional, receiving a guard of honor as he made his way back to the VCARB hospitality area. F1 photographer Kym Illman claims that the former McLaren driver shared about 10 minutes with Lando Norris “behind closed doors”, a moment that was probably recorded by the cameras for Netflix’s Drive to Survive series.
At the Singapore GP, Ricciardo’s impressive performance could significantly impact the title race. Despite finishing 18th, his late surge earned him the bonus point for the fastest lap, taking it from title contender Lando Norris and indirectly aiding Max Verstappen. “If Max wins by a point, then I just guaranteed myself a nice Christmas present,” Ricciardo told Sky Sports.
RB’s move to box Ricciardo at the end of the race and take the fastest lap away from Norris didn’t go down well with McLaren CEO Zak Brown who voiced his concern against the dual ownership of teams in F1. “This highlights the need to address the issue of A/B teams and dual ownership in F1, as it creates opportunities to manipulate outcomes. We must ensure incidents like this don’t happen again, especially when only one team benefits.”
Although RB has not officially confirmed Ricciardo’s departure, the driver hinted that this might be his last race, stating, “A lot of emotions because I’m aware it could be it. I’ve always said I don’t want to come back just to be on the grid; I want to fight at the front and return to Red Bull. Obviously, that hasn’t happened, so I have to ask myself, ‘What else can I achieve?’ Ricciardo told Sky Sports. “Maybe the fairy-tale ending didn’t occur, but I can look back on 13 years and be proud.”
Danny Ric ❤️
An emotional Daniel Ricciardo speaks after the #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/53hD09HZ4z
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 22, 2024
In addition to his eight race wins, the most recent being in 2021, Ricciardo is celebrated for his laid-back demeanor and infectious humor. He gained significant popularity through the Netflix series “Drive to Survive,” which expanded Formula 1’s reach and attracted a larger audience in the United States. Ricciardo made his debut in the series during the 2018 season, where he was featured spending time with his family in Australia and sharing his ambitions for the championship.
Ricciardo’s career in Formula 1 seemed to be at risk after being significantly outperformed by Lando Norris during his time at McLaren in 2022. Following a period as a reserve driver for Red Bull, he was given another chance when RB, previously AlphaTauri, parted ways with underperforming Nyck de Vries midseason. However, his performances have been disappointing, managing only four top-10 finishes across 25 races.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
