The RB team has officially announced that Daniel Ricciardo will not continue his Formula 1 career with this team.
On Thursday afternoon, the team posted on its social media channels thanking Ricciardo, highlighting his contributions, which included seven of his eight career victories.
Team principal Laurent Mekies said: “He brings a wealth of experience and talent to the team, and his fantastic approach has helped create a strong team spirit.”
Although Ricciardo did not clearly announce his departure after the Singapore Grand Prix, his behavior indicated that it could have been his last race. The Australian admitted that he had come to terms with the situation: “I tried to be happy [weekendem wyścigowym w Singapurze]a bit like at the end of 2022 with McLaren. I was aware that this might be my last race, so I tried to enjoy it. I’m in a much better place in the sport now than I was then, so if it’s over, I have more peace of mind and I’m proud of my career.”
Ricciardo returned to F1 last year in what was seen as a chance to prove he still had potential for a main team seat. However, an accident during the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, which resulted in a broken wrist, ruled him out of competition for several weeks.
After returning to full health this season, despite the possibility of promotion due to Sergio Pérez’s problems, Ricciardo has failed to demonstrate sufficient consistency. There were moments of success, such as fourth place in the sprint in Miami and eighth place in Canada, but too often better results were lacking.
Mekies stressed that Ricciardo’s problem was not speed: “We were asked many times if Daniel could still do it? The answer on the track was yes, he can still do it. Look at Miami, look at Canada – he showed his speed there. But have we been able to do this often enough? NO”.
The current RB boss added that the problem was finding the right balance between driver and team. “It’s never just about the driver or the team. It’s about both sides. If we found the perfect balance more often, things might be different.”
Even though the RB team said goodbye to Ricciardo, the team has not yet officially announced that his place will be taken by Liam Lawson, who will probably become Yuki Tsunoda’s partner until the end of the season.
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