Is this Goodbye for Danny Ric?

A tearful Daniel Ricciardo admitted that the Singapore Grand Prix might have been his last Formula 1 appearance, as the eight-time race winner reflected on a disappointing evening at the Marina Bay Street Circuit with uncertainty surrounding his future.

After a second consecutive Q1 exit in Singapore, Ricciardo started the race from P16 on soft tyres but struggled to make any significant progress on his alternate strategy. Running at the back in the final laps, his RB team pitted him for fresh soft tyres to allow him to set the fastest lap and take the point away from race winner Lando Norris, in a bid to help Max Verstappen’s title push for Red Bull. Ricciardo ultimately finished P18.

“It was a tough race,” Ricciardo said. “Any time you’re out in Q1, you know you’ve got a long day ahead. I had to try something with strategy, and with the Safety Car here, sometimes it can work in your favor. But there wasn’t one today, so our strategy didn’t really pay off. Ultimately, we just weren’t quick enough.

“At the end, we weren’t really in any position, so we went for the fastest lap. Maybe it’ll help Max in Abu Dhabi. Who knows? Maybe there’s a Christmas present coming if he wins by a point!” he joked.

Speculation had been swirling ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix that Ricciardo could be replaced by Liam Lawson for the remaining six races of 2024, which could spell the end of the Australian’s F1 career. After the race, Ricciardo hinted that this might indeed be his final F1 weekend.

Referring to his fastest lap attempt, Ricciardo said, “It was maybe just to have one last crack at doing a fast one, if this is it.”

When asked if Singapore could have been his last race, Ricciardo replied, “Possibly. I have to acknowledge that. It’s been a race-by-race situation, and I obviously would have loved for the weekend to go better. It didn’t, so I have to be prepared for this possibly being the end.”

Ricciardo, who returned to F1 with RB in mid-2023 after being dropped by McLaren, added: “I do feel at peace with it. At some point, it’ll come for all of us. I tried to get back into Red Bull, and it didn’t work out, so I have to ask myself what I’m still trying to achieve. Maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I’m proud of what it’s been—fourteen or so years.”

Reflecting on his career, Ricciardo continued, “When you’ve experienced the highs of winning, it’s hard to keep fighting for P10. There’s nothing like that feeling, and if it’s no longer possible, it gets harder. Maybe that’s being 35, maybe it’s the competition getting stronger. Who knows?”

After being named Driver of the Day, Ricciardo was seen taking his time getting out of his RB in parc ferme, appearing to savor what might have been his final moments with the car after a grueling 62-lap race.

Asked what he was feeling in that moment, an emotional Ricciardo said, “A lot of emotions. I’m aware this could be it, and I was just exhausted after the race. It was a flood of emotions—exhaustion, reflection. The cockpit is something I got used to for so many years. I just wanted to savor the moment.”