Ricciardo 'at peace' with pending F1 exit after 'coming up short'

Daniel Ricciardo has conceded to being "at peace" and in a better place to leave F1 now than when he was axed by McLaren two years ago.

An announcement that Ricciardo will be replaced at RB by Liam Lawson for the final six races of this season is expected this week, bringing the curtain down on his 13-year F1 career.

There was a sense in Singapore that the decision had already been made ahead of the weekend, and that lip service was simply being paid to the fact it could be Ricciardo's last race.

Ultimately, when the confirmation arrives, it will conclude a difficult final season for Ricciardo, one that started out with him eyeing Sergio Perez's Red Bull seat for 2025 before fading into a fight for survival he has seemingly lost.

"I'm prepared for it," said Ricciardo of his pending departure. "That's why I think, over the weekend, I just tried to acknowledge a few things with myself, also why I came back into the sport. Sometimes you've got to see the big picture.

"I always said, I don't just want to be a guy that's here on the grid fighting for a point every now and then, which has kind of been how this year's gone.

"Obviously, this year, the purpose was to try and do good enough to get back into Red Bull and fight for wins again and see if I've still got it. I feel I came up short with that.

"So I then think, 'Okay, what else am I fighting for here? What else is going to give me fulfilment?'

"I've been a young driver as well, and at some point, I don't just want to take up space. You obviously have to be selfish, but for me, if I'm not able to fight at the front with Red Bull, I have to ask myself, 'What am I staying on the grid for?' That's also something I've come to peace with."

Ricciardo: No sadness or feeling of regret

In comparison to his time at McLaren, Ricciardo was forced to address the fact he no longer had the pace and talent to propel the team forward.

After being offered a return to Red Bull as its third driver, time in the simulator made him appreciate that his problems were not solely of his making but also to do with the car and the style of driving he was forced to apply to extract performance.

On this occasion, he knows he gave it his all, no more so than his final lap in Singapore when he set the fastest lap.

"I tried to enjoy it," he said. "A little bit like the end of '22 with McLaren and I was aware that maybe that was my last race, so I tried to enjoy that.

"I'm in a much happier place now in the sport than I was then. So if this is it, let's say I have a little bit more peace, and I'm proud of my career.

"I tried to become world champion; I tried to become the best at something in the world. It is a tall task that we ask of ourselves, and obviously some achieve it, some don't.

"In the end, if I came up a little short, I also can't be too hard on myself. I'm happy with the effort I put in, and for that, there's no sadness or feeling of regret about what could have been. I put my best foot forward."