Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesRB had a sporting reason to replace Daniel Ricciardo with Liam Lawson in 2024. But the way the team handled Ricciardo’s final race and departure was poor—and team principal Laurent Mekies later said so himself. Ricciardo was not entitled to keep his seat; he was entitled to a more considered public farewell after a career that brought Australia one of its most successful Formula One drivers.
What happened to Daniel Ricciardo at the end of 2024?
Ricciardo’s last Grand Prix was Singapore on September 22, 2024. He qualified 16th and finished 18th after RB tried an alternative strategy. A late stop for soft tyres gave him the fastest lap, taking the point away from race winner Lando Norris and potentially helping Max Verstappen’s championship bid.
After the race, Ricciardo acknowledged that it might be his final Grand Prix. “I do feel, let’s say, at peace with it,” he said. Reflecting on his career, he added: “Fourteen or so years and I’m proud.”
RB announced on September 26 that Ricciardo would leave with immediate effect and Lawson would take his seat for the final six races of the season. The news came only days after Singapore, where speculation about Ricciardo’s future had followed him through the weekend. Formula 1 reported the change and its timing.
#1 Best Overall
Why did RB replace Ricciardo with Lawson?
The change had a competitive and development rationale. Formula 1 reported that Ricciardo had scored points five times in 2024, including fourth in the Miami Sprint, and was 14th in the drivers’ standings, 10 points behind teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Giving Lawson the remaining six races let Red Bull assess him alongside Tsunoda.
That makes the decision to change drivers understandable as a team choice. It does not settle the separate question of how RB treated Ricciardo during the transition. Formula 1’s report on Lawson’s promotion described the final-six-race opportunity.
Did RB apologize for how Ricciardo left F1?
At the United States Grand Prix on October 19, Mekies acknowledged that RB mishandled the public side of the departure. “We are not happy with ultimately how we handled it, and of course we are very conscious that we could, and we should, have done a better job at that,” the Racing Bulls team principal said.
Mekies said he and Ricciardo had been talking regularly and that both knew the situation before Singapore. That account comes from Mekies; the public reporting does not independently establish the precise private conversations. He also explained the decision to keep the change private during the race weekend: “For a number of reasons we decided to go into [Singapore] trying to keep it [not] public and it proved very, very quickly in the weekend that unfortunately it was not the right decision.”
In other words, Mekies did not say RB should have retained Ricciardo. He said the team should have handled the announcement better. That admission is the clearest basis for calling the exit disrespectful: the team’s own principal agreed its communication fell short. Formula 1 reported Mekies’s comments.
Why Ricciardo’s career deserved a better farewell
Ricciardo’s record gives weight to the view that this was a significant F1 departure, not simply a routine mid-season seat change. Formula 1’s 2024 career figures credited him with eight Grand Prix wins, 32 podiums, 1,329 points and 258 Grands Prix. His best championship result was third, achieved in both 2014 and 2016.
Those numbers make “one of Australia’s greatest drivers” a defensible judgment, though they are not a formal all-time national ranking. The response from fellow drivers and teams also showed the regard in which he was held: Formula 1’s roundup recorded tributes from Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon, Christian Horner, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso and rival teams. A collection of public tributes is evidence of esteem, not proof that every person in the sport or every fan shared one view. Formula 1 collected the reactions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was Ricciardo told before the Singapore Grand Prix?
Mekies said that he and Ricciardo knew the situation before the Singapore weekend and were in regular contact. The available public account does not establish exactly when or how Ricciardo was told, so it would go beyond the evidence to state the details of their private conversation as fact. What is clear from the public timeline is that Singapore was his final race and RB announced his immediate departure four days later.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallWhy did Ricciardo set the fastest lap in Singapore?
RB brought Ricciardo in late for soft tyres, giving him a chance to set the fastest lap and take the point from Norris. In the context of Verstappen’s title fight, that point could benefit his Red Bull teammate. The stop turned Ricciardo’s final race into a strategic moment, but it did not change the fact that he was leaving the team days later. Formula 1 covered Ricciardo’s post-race comments and the fastest-lap context.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
