Why Red Bull failed Ricciardo miserably with F1 exit

Daniel Ricciardo deserved better from Red Bull, so much better.

On what was a typical hot and sultry day in Singapore, like on any other grand prix weekend of the past in the country, the renowned effervescent smile of Daniel Ricciardo had evaporated.

In the build-up to last Thursday at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, speculation reached a crescendo that the upcoming weekend would be Ricciardo's last as a Formula 1 driver.

In fairness, the conjecture had started early in the season following a run of poor results over the first few grands prix with VCARB that quickly doused Ricciardo's pre-season fire for a return to Red Bull as he eyed Sergio Perez's seat for 2025.

There was even a change of chassis after the Chinese Grand Prix in a bid to get him more comfortable with the car, a move that team principal Laurent Mekies told RacingNews365 in the immediate aftermath of that event that it would be no real game-changer for Ricciardo, hinting instead that if it at least eased the Australian's growing psychological concerns, then it was worth an attempt.

When Ricciardo duly delivered at the next race in Miami, finishing fourth in the sprint, albeit 15th in the grand prix, there was a degree of light at the end of the tunnel to strive for.

Sadly, Ricciardo failed to build on the foundation in Miami, and when team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was handed a new one-year deal for next season ahead of the Canadian GP, the focus switched intently onto Ricciardo and his then limited options for next season.

Lurking over Ricciardo's shoulder has been Liam Lawson, the New Zealander handed his big break - literally in Ricciardo's case after the 35-year-old shattered a bone in his left hand following a crash in practice for the Dutch GP in turning to avoid the stricken McLaren of fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri.

In his third event back after being handed a second chance by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner following his axe by McLaren, it was an early setback and a pivotal moment that hastened his latest - and almost certainly his last - F1 exit.

In a five-race cameo, Lawson delivered, initially brilliantly throughout the remainder of a wet weekend in Zandvoort, and then even more strikingly in finishing ninth in the Singapore Grand Prix, at that stage then AlphaTauri's best result of the season.

Advisor Helmut Marko, as straight a talker as you are likely to come across, made clear after Ricciardo returned to the cockpit, that Lawson would soon be a full-time driver in F1.

Ricciardo finished last term showing glimpses of his old self, never more so than in Mexico City where he qualified fourth and finished seventh. His experience was, on many occasions, vouched as crucial to not only the development of the car but also Tsunoda.

Ricciardo body language said it all

And so it was that Ricciardo entered this campaign making it clear he wanted to return to Red Bull in 2025, only for those words and ambitions to fall flat very quickly.

When Perez was surprisingly handed a new one-plus-one deal by Red Bull [guaranteed for 2025, with an option for 2026] Ricciardo instantly knew that door had closed, channelling his focus and energy into again being retained by RB.

But with Lawson waiting in the wings, and often in plain view given his regular attendance at grands prix as reserve driver for both teams, as results failed to materialise, so an inevitability grew that Ricciardo was on borrowed time.

A reprieve came his way on the day after the Belgian Grand Prix, and just ahead of the summer break. It was understood at the time Ricciardo was safe, at least, for the remainder of this season.

Shortly after F1's return, however, Marko - who else - stirred the pot again when he referred to a decision being made on Lawson after the Singapore Grand Prix. Cue pressure again on Ricciardo.

That decision, however, was made between the Sunday in Azerbaijan and the Thursday in Singapore - not over these past few days.

It meant that the man who walked into the TV and written media pen at the Marina Bay Street Circuit was not the same as the one who left the enclosure at the Baku City Circuit.

As I watched him enter, Ricciardo's body language spoke volumes even before he had opened his mouth to answer questions. A smile was there, but it was forced.

As soon as he started to address his career situation, he was straining to craft his answers in a way when you know something but are not allowed to say it. I have watched and listened to Ricciardo enough times over the years to recognise a nervousness in his voice in those situations.

There was something else, too, about those pen interviews that day in that every word was being listened to by Red Bull's head of communications Paul Smith, a sense of ensuring that Ricciardo stayed on message with the fact an announcement would be due the following week but you cannot say a word.

During the weekend, and never more so than post-race on Sunday when he again had to answer inevitable questions as to what would happen in the coming days, there was just enough to know that when he climbed out of the cockpit of his VCARB on Sunday night, that was it, he was done.

He took a long time to extract himself from the car, a point raised by F1TV. In answering, his voice cracked, he struggled to put his words together and there were tears in his eyes.

You had to feel for Ricciardo at that moment, and when he took further questions soon after from the written media, of which I was one, he again had to skirt around the edges of the upcoming truth, but again hinting we had seen the last of him in an F1 car in a grand prix. He said he was "at peace" with what was to come compared to how he departed McLaren.

Ricciardo won't be at a race track again this year

I made a point of shaking his hand afterwards and wishing him all the best, which he was kind enough to acknowledge.

What grates with me in reflecting on all of this is how badly the situation was handled, how poorly Ricciardo was treated and why he was not afforded a proper send-off in Singapore.

If Red Bull had announced in between the two grands prix in Azerbaijan and Singapore that Ricciardo would be leaving RB after the latter then at least everyone in F1, up and down the pit lane and who knew Ricciardo could have said their farewell.

And that final lap, claiming the fastest lap and denying former McLaren team-mate Lando Norris what could prove to be a precious point in his world title fight with Max Verstappen, he could have savoured it more and played to the crowd when he stepped out of his car.

The acclaim and adulation he would have received from the fans would have been tumultuous and would have helped carry him through whatever tough times may lie ahead.

There can be no doubt that Ricciardo, no matter the twists, turns, ups and downs of his career, was a fan favourite, beloved for that beaming smile and engaging character.

And he wasn't bad behind the wheel either. His eight grand prix wins and 32 additional podiums testify to that.

From Red Bull, who gave him his initial opportunity, and then that second chance, he deserved so much more, and to be treated with the respect he thoroughly deserved.

Of course, Red Bull and its 'sister team', in its various guises over the years, have made a habit of ditching drivers mid-season with little fanfare. The likes of Scott Speed, Sébastian Bourdais, Daniil Kvyat, Nyck de Vries, and even Pierre Gasly, all know what that feels like. Daniel Ricciardo is far above those.

And in a year when the team has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and on far too many occasions for its liking, it missed an open goal to at least do right by Ricciardo, and make something positive out of his departure.

But it failed. Miserably.

As for Ricciardo, he will take the time he needs to lick his wounds and he will bounce back somewhere.

But as one trusted insider put it to me after the dust had settled on the Singapore GP, just don't expect to see him at a race track again this year. If that's the case, who can blame him?