Daniel Ricciardo said he wouldn’t change anything about his Formula 1 career as he reacts to being sacked by RB for the remainder of the 2024 F1 season as Liam Lawson replaces the Australian at RB.
The 35-year-old’s last race was the 2024 Singapore GP and it was underwhelming to put it kindly as he qualified 16th and finished 18th at the Marina Bay Circuit, although he did take the fastest lap.
If anything, it sums up his career since leaving Renault in 2020 which has been defined by fleeting highs which were few and far between a pretty miserable three years at McLaren and RB.
But now the journey has come to an end for the eight-time Grand Prix winner and he posted an emotional reaction via social media to respond to the second time in his career that the cruel nature of F1 has kicked him out.
“I’ve loved this sport my whole life,” Ricciardo said via Instagram as he reacts to being sacked from F1. “It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey.
“To the teams and individuals that have played their part, thank you. To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than me haha thank you.
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“It’ll always have its highs and lows but it’s been fun and truth be told I wouldn’t change it. Until the next adventure.”
Why has Ricciardo been sacked?
Ricciardo departs from 14th in the standings prior to the 2024 United States GP and trailed his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, by 10 points as well as losing both the qualifying and race head-to-heads throughout the season.
He had been in contention to replace Sergio Perez next to Max Verstappen prior to the 2024 Belgian GP but seemed to fail to do enough to impress the Red Bull bosses, who have admitted to making critical mistakes on their car dating back to 2023.
That seems as though it has bought the Mexican some credit back in the bank and has taken the pressure off him for the time being whilst Ricciardo became a square peg in a round hole for Red Bull’s driver program with Tsunoda already contracted whilst they wanted to test Lawson.
As a result, the driver who once humiliated Sebastian Vettel has lost his place in the sport and it’s unclear if he will be returning to Formula 1 again.
“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us,” a statement from Laurent Mekies, RB principal, read. “He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the Team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to develop and foster a tight team spirit.
“Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile. He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.”
