Emotional Daniel Ricciardo 'teary-eyed' in potential goodbye from Formula 1

Former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo was emotional after the Singapore GP. The driver was teary-eyed knowing well that the race could have been his final one in Formula One career.

In Short

• Daniel Ricciardo was emotional after Singapore GP
• Ricciardo secured the fastest lap, aiding Verstappen in title race
• Ricciardo reflected on his F1 career and future uncertainties

RB F1 racer Daniel Ricciardo was teary-eyed at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix. Ricciardo, once hailed as a potential Formula 1 champion, might have participated in his final race of Formula One. Speaking to the broadcaster, Ricciardo said that he had given his all.

In the Singapore GP, his performance might have played a crucial role in the title race. Ricciardo's late surge secured the bonus point for the fastest lap, snatching it away from title contender Lando Norris and indirectly benefiting Max Verstappen.

Driving for RB, the sister team of Verstappen's Red Bull, Ricciardo has previously been teammates with both Norris and Verstappen. “If Max wins by a point, then I just guaranteed myself a nice Christmas present,” Ricciardo told British broadcaster Sky Sports. Verstappen even expressed his gratitude to Ricciardo over the radio to Red Bull.

The lap put the emotional Ricciardo—a fan favorite in F1—under the spotlight as speculation mounts regarding his potential replacement by RB's reserve driver, Liam Lawson. The situation sparked controversy, as Ricciardo finished outside the top 10 in 18th place after stopping for fresh tires before setting the fastest lap. Consequently, he won't receive the point in the standings. McLaren CEO Zak Brown voiced his concerns, stating, “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.”

RB's team principal, Laurent Mekies, commented that the team wanted Ricciardo to have a memorable race, saying, "Given that this may have been Daniel's last race, we wanted to give him the chance to savor it and go out with the fastest lap."

While RB has yet to confirm Ricciardo's departure, the driver indicated this could be his final race, sharing, “A lot of emotions because I’m aware it could be it.”

Ricciardo's F1 journey appeared to be in jeopardy after being soundly outperformed by Norris at McLaren in 2022. After a stint as a reserve driver for Red Bull, he received another opportunity when RB, then known as AlphaTauri, dismissed underperforming Nyck de Vries midseason. Unfortunately, his results have been lackluster, with only four top-10 finishes in 25 races.

“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.”

Beyond his eight race victories, the last of which was in 2021, Ricciardo is known for his easy-going personality and sense of humor. He became a prominent figure in the Netflix series “Drive to Survive,” which introduced F1 to a broader audience and spurred a surge of interest in the United States. Ricciardo first appeared in the 2018 season, where he was shown enjoying time with his family in Australia and discussing his championship aspirations.

Ricciardo's fastest lap has significant implications for the title race, especially as Verstappen can retain the championship by finishing second in each of the remaining six Grand Prix races and three sprints, thus staying one point ahead of Norris.

Despite the circumstances, Norris remains unfazed. “That’s how it’s been in Formula 1 probably since before I was born, so I have nothing to complain about,” he remarked. “It’s the logical thing to do, the smart play by them. I’m happy for Daniel; that’s all.”