Revisited: Daniel Ricciardo on verge of tears after brutal F1 realisation
In Singapore 2024, Daniel Ricciardo faced a weekend unlike any other. Fresh from an 18th-place finish and under intense scrutiny over his future, he did not retreat from the spotlight. Instead, he fronted up, and even before the race began there were unusual hints that something bigger was unfolding: alongside his regular team PR stood Red Bull’s then-director of communications, Paul Smith, a figure normally glued to Christian Horner across a grand prix weekend. It felt like a sign of things to come.
Pre-race: batting away the questions
On Thursday, Ricciardo swatted away speculation with a mix of candour and hard-earned pragmatism. Asked if Singapore would be his final race, he said: "I don't think so, but I also don't want to stand here and be the lawyer." He added: "I would say no [it won't be], but we also know how this sport works, and people have not seen through a season before, so it is nothing new." The veteran refused to make guarantees: "I don't want to be like: 'Oh, 100% I'll bet my house on it, I've been around too long."
Ricciardo captured the sport’s volatility in trademark style: "What is crazy about this sport … if I go and get a podium this weekend, then I am probably the hottest thing in the sport. That is the merry-go-round we are on … I just have to try and get my head down this weekend and kick some arse."
Qualifying and race: a subdued final chapter
Qualifying 16th on Marina Bay’s unforgiving streets put him on the back foot. The race did not bring redemption, but it did deliver a late, defiant flourish. A final pit stop for brand-new soft tyres set up one last swing: Ricciardo snatched fastest lap from Lando Norris, denying the Briton a potential grand chelem. The lap also had a title twist: it meant Max Verstappen could afford to finish second to Norris in every remaining Sprint and race and still clinch the championship.
As he peeled into the pits for the final time, the eight-time grand prix winner sat motionless in the cockpit, absorbing the moment. It was the quiet pause of a racer sensing an ending—taking it all in, aware he might never drive one of these cars in anger again.
Behind the scenes: the decision lands
It later emerged that Ricciardo had been informed of Red Bull’s decision in the build-up to Singapore, following the Azerbaijan round the week prior. With the picture already set, every session and media obligation took on the weight of finality.
Post-race: emotion on the surface
After the flag, the reality cut through. Struggling for words, eyes wide and glistening, Ricciardo was visibly on the verge of tears as he worked through his last interviews—an understated farewell to life as a Formula 1 driver, captured by F1’s cameras and shared widely across social media.
It was a human moment at the end of a turbulent chapter: a champion of the paddock’s spirit, confronting the sport’s harshest truth—how quickly the merry-go-round turns.
