last sunday’s singapore grand prix It was a farewell to Daniel Ricciardo, but only in retrospect. Reporters had almost confirmed that Liam Lawson would get a permanent seat at VCARB and Ricciardo’s choked-up interview after the race was hinting at a departure. But no official statement was issued by VCARB or his bosses at Red Bull. So the day was greeted with half-hearted applause, none of which came from his team – with commentators commenting on Ricciardo’s final race with “likely” and “maybe”. Formula 1 photographer and fellow Australian, Kim Illman, posted a photo referring to the “final goodbye hug”. Fans voted him Driver of the Day.
VCARB just made official announcement ThursdayThe apparently unnecessary four-day delay in announcement would have been off-putting even to the average driver; Red Bull profile is the kind of mistake a company has made that can largely be attributed to the year self-motivated Disease Which has plagued Red Bull’s top executives. An explanation won’t change the travesty that Ricciardo, a fervent fan-favorite, is somehow leaving the sport without much fanfare. Putting aside the respect that may or may not have been demanded in return for a 13-year career in F1, Ricciardo was the kind of personality who could tolerate such a ceremony: some build-up, a video, the grid. An opportunity for other drivers to share fond memories or embarrassing stories.
Instead, Ricciardo’s departure resulted in last place, notable given how he competed to set the fastest lap in the race. That was the last hurray – except that Ricciardo didn’t get anything concrete for it, and the lap, which took a point away from Grand Prix winner Lando Norris, simply went to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship. Without an official separation, the emotion of the moment was blunted. Verstappen, the fans and the VCARB-Red Bull sister team partnership all took something away from Ricciardo’s final lap. It is unclear what Ricciardo was carrying.
For the casual, recent, American fan – often saying the same thing three times – Daniel Ricciardo is Formula 1. At least, he is drive to surviveWhich was created by and almost for Ricardo. The producers of the show saw in him someone who could play the lead character, and they were right. The average F1 driver is more attractive than the stereotype suggests, aided by public beefing and a more wild west The atmosphere of the press conference, no matter how FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem might want to put a stop to thatBut Ricciardo was always a cut above the rest. there is no one else demanding for Norris in a press room about his youth. Lewis Hamilton, famous for drinking, could not be influenced by anyone else “Juice from feet”-In I am shoeing(Hamilton’s Review: “It was lousy, but glad I got to do it with you.”)
He’s absolutely funny, he’s got a killer smile, he’s Australian. What more could a fan or marketing team ask for? But Ricardo was reduced to a drive to survive The star causes harm with his driving. If you’re looking for skill, Ricardo had that too. From 2014 to 2018, he was easily one of the top five drivers on the grid. He only had the misfortune of coming up against the Mercedes era of hybrid engine dominance and the Red Bull era of Renault engine unreliability, and then, later, wunderkind Verstappen. (lyrics of drive to surviveAlthough they were portrayed as enemies on the show, Verstappen and Ricciardo were, and remain, fast friends Off track.) The first two issues, Ricciardo drove – the second, he left behind in search of the number one driver seat elsewhere. He never found it.
It’s difficult to exit gracefully in any sport, but F1 often feels particularly brutal. A large part of this is structural. the length of the contract is More than science, guesswork and loyalty to a team can be bought. The math is also brutal: There are 20 seats, a handful of excellent drivers, paid drivers make up the balance and a long line of hungry reserved people waiting. There is no room in teams for experienced presence, which leaves no room for retirement tours. However, the other part is that the literal machinery of the game obscures the mechanics of the fall. In disciplines where athletes have slightly more body weight than they should, there are always signs: they run slower than before. Injuries accumulate, or never heal completely.
Formula 1 cars mean drivers find themselves in poor comparisons. There is no real aging stage or development. The only measuring stick is your teammate; That teammate can only be evaluated by his or her previous teammates, and so on. You outperform the person who is ahead or you start fielding calls from other teams. Drivers appear to be falling off a cliff. The preferred explanations for the decline are adverse driving style, mental collapse and, most brutally yet, that it was always just the car. There is hardly anything concrete to say to the drivers.
When did old Daniel Ricciardo disappear? It wasn’t right after leaving Red Bull in 2018. One of the most impressive years of his career was when he moved to Renault, finishing fifth in the Drivers’ Championship, earning two podiums in a midfield car, and becoming the former Renault Driver. Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul got tattooedThen he went to McLaren, and seemingly lost everything overnight. Norris was always a talented young driver of the Verstappen type, but Ricciardo had shown he could beat Verstappen. He has rarely performed better than Norris. His 2021 Monza win was a bright spot during his McLaren tenure, and was paired with post-race radio Announcement: “And whoever thought I left, I never left.” Barring a miracle, this would be his last win in F1. Whatever was there has now ended.
there was drama in it Ricciardo’s return to the Red Bull ecosystem, but by the time he was losing to Yuki Tsunoda, the buzz was dwindling. The personality who carried F1 forward for some crucial years was never given the opportunity to shine. His gracious departure was swallowed by an unholy mix of Red Bull arrogance and oversight. But that is also quite sad. The “Honey Badger” introduced F1 to a new audience, and Daniel Ricciardo—the only Daniel Ricciardo—now represents what it means to leave the sport.