Method 1 stated goodbye to Daniel Ricciardo finally weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, because it turned more and more clear that the RB driver was set to get replaced by Liam Lawson.
That information was formally confirmed on 26 September, which means Lawson will associate Yuki Tsunoda for the ultimate six rounds of the 2024 season, leaving the way forward for the eight-time grand prix winner unclear.
There are simply two spots left on the 2025 grid and, with one seat being the Purple Bull one at present held by Sergio Perez, his solely probability of staying in F1 is by way of a shock transfer to Sauber.
It’s subsequently prone to be the top of Ricciardo’s F1 profession, which started in 2011 and has twice seen the 35-year-old end third within the championship – his finest end result.
So what are the ten career-defining moments for Ricciardo in F1?
Purple Bull sends Ricciardo to the HRT F1 Group on mortgage
Daniel Ricciardo, HRT Method One Group HRT F111
Photograph by: Sutton Photos
Ricciardo turned a Purple Bull junior driver when he was 18 years previous having simply completed sixth within the 2007 Method Renault Italia standings. This meant Purple Bull supported his profession from that second onwards and in 2010 he turned its check and reserve driver, a job he additionally held for sister crew Toro Rosso which is now RB.
The Australian continued to impress and in June 2011 Ricciardo was lastly supplied the chance to turn out to be an F1 driver. However it wasn’t with both of the Purple Bull-owned squads, as a result of the operation had paid the struggling Hispania Racing Group to take Ricciardo on mortgage for the ultimate 11 rounds of the season.
Ricciardo did effectively regardless of a poor automobile, as over time he step by step turned faster than veteran team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi – out-qualifying him for grands prix like Italy, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. It was an important studying expertise and on the finish of the yr, Ricciardo was introduced as a Toro Rosso driver for 2012, the place he spent two seasons earlier than a promotion to Purple Bull.
Ricciardo claims maiden victory throughout debut season at Purple Bull
Ricciardo moved to reigning world champions Purple Bull for 2014 after fellow Aussie Mark Webber referred to as time on his 12-year F1 profession. Though Purple Bull had simply received the earlier 4 titles, Ricciardo wasn’t precisely thrown into a simple scenario as a result of he was up towards the reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel within the first yr of turbo-hybrid racing.
However Ricciardo thrived and shortly asserted himself because the sooner driver, by which his spectacular begin culminated in a maiden grand prix victory on the season’s seventh spherical in Montreal.
It was a frantic race which noticed the Purple Bull driver working second behind Nico Rosberg with three laps to go regardless of beginning in sixth. However hassle had hit Mercedes, as that yr’s world champion Lewis Hamilton retired on lap 46 with a brake failure whereas team-mate Rosberg, who he bitterly fought for the title, was pressured to drive with much less engine energy.
This resulted in Ricciardo passing Rosberg for the lead with two laps remaining and that eventual victory was big, because the then 24-year-old now held a powerful higher hand on Vettel.
It was the primary of three victories for him in 2014, which resulted in a brand new long-term contract whereas Vettel departed for Ferrari in 2015.
Ricciardo debuts his well-known ‘shoey’ celebration in Hockenheim
Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, 1st place, performs a shoey on the rostrum
Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photos
Ricciardo absolutely established himself as one in every of F1’s main drivers after the 2014 Canadian GP and 2016 noticed him end third within the championship for the second time in three years. That season he additionally received in Malaysia, however his podium on the Hockenheimring two months prior was maybe the extra memorable second as Ricciardo debuted the shoey.
The shoey is a singular Australian celebration which entails a driver consuming champagne from their race-worn shoe on the rostrum. It was launched to motorsport by V8 Utes racer Ryal Harris, earlier than Ricciardo introduced it to F1 after his second-place end on the 2016 German GP.
It little doubt caught everyone unexpectedly however folks beloved the second. So each time he scored a podium afterwards, Ricciardo did a shoey – actually because others inspired him – and generally dragged others into doing one too like Hamilton, Rosberg, Max Verstappen, Martin Brundle and even Sir Patrick Stewart.
The highs and lows of Monaco
Ricciardo claimed an unbelievable victory on the 2018 Monaco GP as he drove the ultimate 50 laps with 25% much less horsepower whereas heading off former team-mate Vettel who was proper behind. However it got here after heartbreak simply two years prior, as Ricciardo led the 2016 Monaco GP till a botched pitstop 32 laps in the place Purple Bull didn’t have the correct tyres prepared in time
This led to a nine-second cease and Ricciardo left the pit lane behind Hamilton, who finally received the race. The Aussie was understandably livid, however redemption got here in 2018 as he arguably produced the most effective drive of his profession which was Michael Schumacher-esc in accordance with crew boss Christian Horner.
Crash with Verstappen which doubtlessly prompted Ricciardo’s Purple Bull exit
Verstappen and Ricciardo have been team-mates between 2016 and 2018, throughout which the pair turned good mates and have been very carefully matched on monitor. However over time, it was clear that Purple Bull was inserting its long-term future in Verstappen, who signed a brand new deal on the finish of 2017 whereas talks with Ricciardo rumbled on forward of his contract expiration the next yr.
The then 28-year-old was on the stage of his profession the place the following step was extra necessary than ever, given Ricciardo was heading in direction of his later years so took loads of time to determine. Ultimately, he made a shock transfer to Renault for 2019 and the aftermath of the 2018 Azerbaijan GP is probably seen as a catalyst to that call.
On the season’s fourth spherical, he and Verstappen had been battling all race till it got here to an explosive finish on lap 40 when the Purple Bull pair collided down the start-finish straight. Verstappen, who had simply overcutted Ricciardo for fourth, made a late transfer to defend the within and his team-mate locked up earlier than hitting the again of the sister RB14.
It was controversial who was guilty, however Ricciardo thought Verstappen had brake-tested him but felt the crew favoured the eventual world champion extra on that event.
So, it was maybe an indication that Ricciardo would by no means be the primary driver so long as Verstappen stayed at Purple Bull. This made Baku 2018 a key level within the Aussie believing the grass was greener elsewhere.
Ricciardo provides up life on the entrance to maneuver to Renault
Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1 Group
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Ricciardo’s transfer to Renault is one which shocked your complete paddock because it got here with loads of threat, given the French marque in the end completed fourth and 297 factors behind Purple Bull within the 2018 championship.
However the grand prix winner cited the necessity for a contemporary problem, saying there was not a lot room left to develop with Purple Bull whereas the Renault undertaking excited him.
Ricciardo hoped that his transfer can be like that of Hamilton, who left the championship-winning McLaren for midfield Mercedes in 2013 earlier than successful six titles on the Silver Arrows. However Ricciardo’s Renault stint was in the end not like that in any respect, as a result of the crew dropped to fifth within the 2019 standings whereas the Aussie completed ninth within the drivers’ championship.
Forward of the next marketing campaign, Ricciardo introduced that he’ll be a part of McLaren on the finish of 2020 which means he contested simply two seasons for Renault. Though his second yr there was significantly better – Ricciardo completed fifth within the championship with two podiums – the transfer to Renault will maybe be his lasting legacy because it really regressed his profession as a substitute of kicking it on.
Ricciardo turns into the star of Drive to Survive
Drive to Survive has prompted F1’s recognition to skyrocket and Ricciardo turned an enigmatic protagonist throughout season one, which adopted the championship in 2018. It carefully documented a vital yr in Ricciardo’s profession as he weighed up his future choices and the third episode – titled “Redemption” – captured his victory in Monaco, in addition to the notorious collision in Baku.
Ricciardo would additionally function in different episodes and later sequence turning into considerably of a standout star for the Netflix programme. Followers resonated with what they noticed on display and this glimpse behind the visor helped each him and the sequence to garner extra curiosity.
Vettel leaving Ferrari triggers Ricciardo’s transfer to McLaren
Regardless of an underwhelming debut yr at Renault, Ricciardo was nonetheless extremely considered so it was no shock that McLaren signed him for the 2021 season after its driver Carlos Sainz opted to switch Vettel at Ferrari.
The expectation for Ricciardo at McLaren was excessive, but it simply wasn’t meant to be as he struggled to become familiar with the automobile.
From the off, Ricciardo was slower than team-mate Lando Norris and are available the 2021 summer time break he was 63 factors behind the Brit, a niche he failed to really bridge.
That’s regardless of Ricciardo claiming an emotional victory on the 2021 Italian GP to which he stated “by no means left” over crew radio. However, as a substitute of that inflicting his fortunes to vary, it in the end proved to be an anomaly amid a really disappointing two years at McLaren.
It led to Ricciardo being dropped for the 2023 season, regardless of him initially being contracted for that yr, inserting his F1 future in huge doubt.
Profitable Silverstone check provides Ricciardo one final probability in F1
Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri
Photograph by: Purple Bull Content material Pool
Ricciardo’s McLaren departure meant he was and not using a seat initially of 2023, so he returned to Purple Bull to turn out to be its reserve driver. Nonetheless, rookie Nyck de Vries struggled considerably at AlphaTauri – previously Toro Rosso – and his future was thrown below query after simply 10 point-less grands prix.
With Ricciardo as reserve driver, the Purple Bull-owned crew knew it had a ready-made alternative and a Pirelli tyre check at Silverstone within the RB19 gave him the chance to indicate that he nonetheless had it.
Ricciardo impressed and it was revealed that he clocked occasions which might have put him on the entrance row of the earlier weekend’s British GP. So, Purple Bull moved shortly and positioned him at AlphaTauri for the remainder of the season changing De Vries.
This gave Ricciardo that lifeline he so desperately craved to indicate F1 that he did nonetheless have a future within the sequence.
Crash on the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix marks the start of the top for Ricciardo
Ricciardo’s F1 return solely lasted an preliminary two races as a result of he broke his hand in second follow for the Dutch GP by crashing at Zandvoort’s Flip 3.
This gave Lawson his sequence debut and the Kiwi contested the following 5 grands prix, throughout which he impressed by scoring factors in Singapore after reaching Q3. Earlier than Ricciardo’s harm, Lawson, who completed third within the 2022 F2 standings, was by no means actually thought of for an F1 drive however his five-race stint allowed him to showcase his abilities and reveal that he’s adequate to compete in motorsport’s prime class.
It even led to Horner stating that the 22-year-old will sooner or later turn out to be a full-time grand prix driver. So, from the second Ricciardo returned to the cockpit in Austin, questions of when will Lawson come again have been consistently requested although the crew opted to maintain him as its reserve driver for 2024.
However no factors within the opening eight grands prix, although Ricciardo did end fourth within the Miami dash, meant the writing was on the wall for the Perth-born driver leading to Lawson being given the chance as soon as once more.
