Seen as the ‘personality hire’ of Formula One, Daniel Ricciardo was one of the biggest forces for entertainment within the sport. With 8 wins, 32 podiums and 257 race starts, the Aussie driver has drove his final laps around Marina Bay, ending his 14-year F1 career.  

With rumours circulating across the paddock that Ricciardo was set to be replaced by Liam Lawson  after the Singapore Grand Prix, it was suggested that without another team to turn to, Ricciardo would be exiting from the sport permanently. Given the opportunity to drive for the Red Bull junior team ‘RB’ after a six-month hiatus off the back of his tumultuous McLaren career, it appeared that Ricciardo did not have luck on his side.  

“the past two years has made Ricciardo’s exit not a question of ‘if’, but rather ‘when’…”

After 18 race starts at ‘RB’, Ricciardo’s best finish was 8th, and on most weekends struggled to get his car into the middle of the grid positions. Finding difficulty with his determination to drive over the past two years has made Ricciardo’s exit not a question of ‘if’, but rather, ‘when’. 

In respect for a man that has brought such personality to the sport, many drivers and presenters took to social media to congratulate the driver on his career. RB Team Principal, Laurent Mekies released a statement: “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. He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.” 

Sky Sports F1 commentator, David Croft took to Instagram, posting a photo of himself and Ricciardo, taking a swipe at RB and their handling of the driver’s exit: “Cheers Danny Ric, one of the best on, and off the track. If this is the end, you deserved a final hurrah. To not be afforded a chance to say farewell was just mean. You gave us all plenty of great memories and a smile that we all hope continues to shine through. Guys, like you make commentating so much fun!!” 

Alpine driver, Pierre Gasly also posted a tribute on Instagram, congratulating the driver on his career, regarding him as “one of a kind”.  

“I expect he will be joining Nico Rosberg on the audit side of things in the not-too-distant future…”

As unfortunate as it is to see a driver who had the talent in his early career go, his personality gives the expectation the Ricciardo won’t be off our screens for long. If anything, I expect he will be joining Nico Rosberg on the pundit side of the sport in the not-too-distant future. For now, we play the waiting game, anticipating a surprising return.