In likely farewell to Formula 1, Daniel Ricciardo helps ‘old friend’ Max Verstappen’s title chances

September 22, 2024

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In likely farewell to Formula 1, Daniel Ricciardo helps ‘old friend’ Max Verstappen’s title chances

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SINGAPORE — Under the lights of Marina Bay, Lando Norris was simply untouchable.

Norris was regularly 1.5 seconds faster than Max Verstappen, his rival in the Formula 1 championship, and it never looked like he would lose the Singapore Grand Prix.

Norris was on the verge of achieving his first career grand slam, winning from pole position, leading the race (he held the lead on the opening lap on his eighth attempt from pole) and setting the fastest lap.

His benchmark of 1m34.925s was so fast that his race engineer, after setting it, suggested he have a drink and control his pace. Two glances at the wall provided a brief scare. Kevin Magnussen had gone faster on fresh soft tyres, but his time was removed due to track limits. The bonus point for fastest lap, so important in the title race, was Norris’s to lose.

And then came Daniel Ricciardo.

In what could be his final outing as a Formula 1 driver, Ricciardo came in late in the afternoon to fit new soft tyres. In the fresh air, he was half a second faster than Norris on the penultimate lap of the race.

Ricciardo was way back in 18th, second to last. There was nothing to be gained for him or his team, RB, by pitting for new softs and going for the fastest lap. The bonus point only counts if you finish in the top 10.

But the would help Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, RB’s senior team. By denying Norris the bonus point, Verstappen’s championship lead fell from 51 to 52 points. After the race, Verstappen was quickly told on the radio that his “old mate” Ricciardo had driven the fastest lap, to which Verstappen replied: “Thanks, Daniel.”

Ricciardo joked that if Verstappen won the title by one point, he would at least be assured of a nice Christmas present.

“He can get whatever he wants,” Verstappen said.

The fastest lap push immediately raised questions about the reasons, given Red Bull and RB’s shared ownership. McLaren CEO Zak Brown has long spoken out against Formula 1’s practice of so-called A and B teams. Now it appeared Red Bull’s sister team wanted to deny its driver a crucial point in the title race.

“As this could be Daniel’s last race, we wanted to give him the chance to enjoy it and come out with the fastest lap,” RB team boss Laurent Mekies said in the team’s post-race press release.

Brown told SiriusXM after the race that he would “certainly ask some questions” about what happened and that it illustrated his concerns about the cooperation between sister teams. “I don’t think you would have made that pit stop to do that.”

Daniel Ricciardo during the Singapore Grand Prix. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella didn’t want to make such a strong connection, but admitted he found it “strange.” Norris waved it away, admitting there was nothing he could do about it. “(It’s) the logical thing to do, it’s a smart move from them,” Norris said. “I’m happy for Daniel, that’s all.” Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said he didn’t think it was “dirty tricks” but that Red Bull were simply playing the game as part of the title fight.

Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, denied any coordination between Red Bull and RB over the fastest lap push. “Daniel clearly wanted to finish the race on a high,” he said. “You’ll have to ask VCARB about that.” Ricciardo explained that he “thought they were just letting me have a bit of fun because we were way outside the points.”

Regardless of the reasoning behind the fastest lap, it was a highlight to finish in what would arguably be the final race of Ricciardo’s Formula 1 career.

The weekend began with serious doubts over whether he would be on the grid for the next race in Austin (let alone 2025), with Liam Lawson waiting to step down. Sunday’s race felt like a final farewell for the eight-time grand prix winner.

The hints were there after qualifying on Saturday, when Ricciardo retired in Q1 while team-mate Yuki Tsunoda made it through to Q3. From 16th on the grid, on a street circuit like Singapore, it was always going to be a tall order to get anywhere near the points. Ricciardo was clearly dejected about the result, saying it “sucks” while noting that there was “all this s— going on” around his future.

Without a safety car for the first time in Singapore Grand Prix history, Ricciardo didn’t have much chance of getting far ahead. An early stop helped him get the undercut, but jeopardized his strategy. Two stops became three as he pitted for what will go down in history as the 17th fastest lap of his F1 career.

Was this really it? The end of the road after 13 years and more than 250 starts? Ricciardo couldn’t say for sure after the race. Horner claims that no decision has been made and that the upcoming three-week break is a “period where we evaluate all the relevant performances of the drivers” within the Red Bull jigsaw.

But Ricciardo’s body language during his post-race interviews and the emotion in his voice made it clear. This really could be the end for him in Formula 1.

Ricciardo couldn’t contain his emotions after the race. (Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

He admitted there was a “realistic chance” he wouldn’t be at the next race in Austin and wanted to soak up every moment in Singapore. “I knew it might be my last race so I tried to enjoy it,” he said. The RB team even held a guard of honour for Ricciardo outside the motorhome after the race, in case it was his last race for the team. The thought of repeating that display this year is too uncomfortable to contemplate.

Finishing in 18th place on his last start is not how Ricciardo would have liked to end his Formula 1 career, but there were no regrets. “I’m proud of the career,” he said. “I tried to be world champion, I tried to be the best in something in the world. I think it’s a tough job that we ask of ourselves. Some achieve it, some don’t.

“Ultimately, if I fall short, I can’t be too hard on myself, happy with the effort I put in. And for that, there’s no sadness or feeling or regret or what could have been.”

Verstappen, Ricciardo’s teammate of nearly three years at Red Bull, paid tribute to the Australian after the race, speaking notably in the past tense. “He’s a great guy, honestly,” Verstappen said. “We’ve always had a great relationship. We had a sporting rivalry in the team. He would be remembered as a great driver, a great person as well. He’s a great character. I think it’s very rare for someone to hate him.

“I think that in a few years, when I’m no longer here, we’ll look back on all those years together and have a beer together.”

A decent welcome for Danny Ric back at RB 🤜🤛#F1 #SingaporeGP photo.twitter.com/yn39km1ba2

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 22, 2024

As inevitable as it may seem, a quick decision would be best for everyone. The race-to-race, even session-to-session fluctuations in Red Bull’s driver line-up this year with Ricciardo, Lawson and Sergio Perez in the senior team have been difficult for everyone involved, regardless of how it can be seen as a source of motivation. As painful as this may be for Ricciardo, at least there will be a solution.

The fastest lap wasn’t Ricciardo’s only potential parting gift. He was also voted ‘Driver of the Day’ by F1 fans with 20 percent of the vote.

“It’s not something to brag about, but I think nowadays the fans read the media and know that this could be my last, so I think this is a very nice gesture from them and it is appreciated today,” said Ricciardo.

“I acknowledge that — I thank them for participating and recognizing my efforts and my love for the sport. Obviously there were times when it tested me, and I wasn’t always grinning from ear to ear.

“But I always felt like I wanted to have as much fun as possible and leave as much on the track as possible.”

If this is the end for Daniel Ricciardo and Formula 1, then this is a good time to let him end it here.