Red Bull has strongly hinted that Daniel Ricciardo will not return to the Formula 1 grid after the Singapore Grand Prix, fueling speculation that his time with the team is up. The Australian driver’s future in F1 has been a major talking point, with rumors swirling that he will be replaced ahead of the season’s end.
Ricciardo had admitted before the Singapore race weekend that he couldn’t guarantee his place for the remainder of the season, as decisions were being made about the 2025 lineup. As Liam Lawson is expected to join Yuki Tsunoda at RB next year, there are growing signs that Ricciardo’s departure might be expedited.
Ricciardo’s dismal performance in Singapore, finishing 18th after a late pit stop to snatch the fastest lap, only fueled the belief that he is aware his time in F1 is coming to an end. Although no official announcement has been made, Red Bull’s actions and statements suggest a conclusion is near.
RB’s team principal Laurent Mekies provided insight that further suggests Ricciardo’s exit is imminent. “Starting from further back, we really needed a Safety Car opportunity for Daniel to get back into the fight for points,” Mekies said. “Dan was on an aggressive strategy starting on Softs and has put in some very good laps through the race, but had no chance to get back into the good positions from so far back. He never gave up and fought all race long.”
Mekies added, “Given this may have been Daniel’s last race, we wanted to give him the chance to savour it and go out with the fastest lap.”
Ricciardo’s uncertain future stems from the fact that Red Bull, not RB, ultimately decides the drivers for their junior team. Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, was less direct but indicated that the upcoming autumn break would be used to evaluate their driver options.
“We’ve now got a period of time where we’ll evaluate all of the relative performances of the drivers,” Horner said. “It’s a natural break in the season to reflect on that. And there’s a bigger picture obviously beyond Daniel. So he’s just one part of the jigsaw.”
Horner emphasized that Red Bull has gathered enough data to assess Ricciardo’s performance since his return. “I think that we know Daniel very well,” he noted. “We know what he’s capable of, how he drives a car. So, yeah, we have that knowledge.”
As Ricciardo’s future hangs in the balance, the F1 paddock is left to speculate whether Singapore marked the end of his illustrious yet tumultuous career in the sport.
