Daniel Ricciardo, a cherished figure in the world of Formula One, culminated his career with RB on Thursday, marking the end of an exciting and unpredictable journey. His departure from the 2024 season was not a surprise given the speculation around the 35-year-old’s career leading up to the previous week’s race. The outstanding finale he delivered – achieving the quickest lap in Singapore – seemed fittingly akin to a final majestic performance. The Australian’s warm and vivacious personality made such an impactful impression that he was able to serenely accept his pending exit, describing his last lap as a “final opportunity to make it a swift one.”
Ricciardo, one of the most admired faces in the sport, is bidding goodbye, largely attributable to his charming persona in the popular Netflix series, Drive to Survive. His popularity has been emphatically endorsed by the overwhelming heartfelt messages from admirers and fellow competitors, underlining his memorable impact on the circuit, both as a sportsman and a character. As Formula One witnessed a spike in novel interest in a time where social media is pervasive, Ricciardo’s glowing charisma, enjoyable presentations, notorious ‘shoey’ festivities, and the 32 times he stood on the winners’ podium, have become the cherished reminiscences for a fresh fan base.
Ricciardo had likely perceived early on the perks from his engagement in Formula One’s venture into Netflix. However, his unabashed display of his Australian character on a global platform particularly resonated with his compatriots. His nonchalant nature and ability to share a joke, traits loved by Australians, were reflected on a worldly sporting stage often associated with glamour and elitism. These attributes have been adored especially back home in Perth, solidifying his position as one of its greatest sporting heroes.
While Ricciardo is widely recognised for his character and engaging personality within the F1 grid, this should not eclipse the remarkable talent and potential he has consistently demonstrated throughout his career. His early performances in F1 indicated that he might be Australia’s first champion since Alan Jones. His switch from Red Bull to Renault, a crucial storyline in the series Drive to Survive, matched his rising status on-track organically.
In 2014, Ricciardo had a breakthrough season. This was his first with Red Bull after moving from Toro Rosso, taking over the seat previously occupied by his fellow Australian, Mark Webber. Whenever Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg faltered, Ricciardo was always ready to seize the opportunity. He triumphed in Canada, Hungary, and Belgium, securing the only victories that season not achieved by Mercedes. His performance earned him third place in the championship, surpassing his team-mate, four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel. Following Vettel’s move to Ferrari, Max Verstappen’s raw talent began to emerge. Nevertheless, Ricciardo was still considered the Red Bull driver with the greatest potential to provide a real challenge, once they could refine the performance of their lesser powered Renault engine.
One of Ricciardo’s career highlights took place in Monaco in 2018. Despite a malfunctioning power unit and only six out of eight gears functioning, he successfully defended his pole position for 50 laps to secure a victory at the renowned circuit. This incredible drive was followed by a memorable celebration, where Ricciardo jumped, hands raised, into the Red Bull swimming pool.
The move to Renault, though curious and ill-fated, saw some significant appearances on the podium, as did a subsequent transition to McLaren. Even though his reputation continued to soar beyond the racetrack, he seemed to lose his ruthless drive as he grappled to adjust his assertive, last-minute braking approach to the McLaren style.
In 2021, he claimed a final triumph at Monza, perhaps a tantalising glimpse of his potential had he stayed with Red Bull. However, the rising status of Lando Norris marked an early downfall to his time with the team. By 2023 he made his way back to AlphaTauri/RB, initially as a stand-by and later taking over from Nyck de Vries. Yet, the anticipated magic of a successful return didn’t come into fruition; Yuki Tsunoda’s ascendancy and Liam Lawson’s promising future in his stead for the remainder of the season suggested his time was close to an end.
Ultimately, Riccardo was denied the farewell he had earned due to Red Bull’s unwillingness to make a decision prior to the Singapore race. Nevertheless, he concluded his career as a pivotal figure in Formula 1 for a decade; his omission from any narrative would render it incomplete. His influence was diverse and conveyed in varying manners, but it was undeniably Ricciardo, unquestionably wild and magnificent, as stated by The Guardian.