Daniel Ricciardo says he’s “prepared” for the Singapore GP to have been his final Formula 1 race and approached the weekend with that mindset.
Liam Lawson is to replace the Australian in the RB team for the rest of the season, although there has been no announcement, and the Red Bull camp still insists that no decision has been made.
In effect Ricciardo went into the race weekend knowing that he won’t be racing in Austin, but unable to talk about it in public.
However after a race in which he finished 18th and last but bagged fastest lap with a late stop for new tyres he was more open about the situation.
Asked by formu1a.uno if we will see him in Austin in four weeks he came as close as he could to confirming that he won’t be.
“Look, obviously there is a realistic chance that it’s not going to happen,” he said. “I think obviously it’s been a very race-by-race situation with Red Bull, I think for all of us, in a way, obviously Checo as well.
“And at times it feels like it’s going one way, then it goes the other. And obviously there was a lot of emphasis on this weekend, and I would have loved a better weekend, and who knows if that would have changed anything, or if the decision’s been made already, even prior to the weekend, do you know what I mean?
“I’m obviously prepared for it, and that’s why I think, over the weekend, I just tried to acknowledge a few things as well with myself, and I think acknowledged also why I came back into the sport. Sometimes you’ve got to see a big picture.”
Ricciardo stressed that he doesn’t want to be at the back of the field.
“I always said I don’t just want to be a guy that’s here on the grid and fighting for a point every now and then, which has kind of been how this year’s gone,” he said.
“But obviously this year, the purpose was to try and then do good enough to get back into Red Bull, and obviously fight for wins again, and see if I’ve still got it.
“I feel like obviously I came up short with that. So I think then okay, what else am I fighting for here? What else is going to give me fulfilment, you know?
“Because I’ve been a young driver as well, and at some point, I don’t just want to take up space also, but obviously you have to be selfish.
“I think for me, if I’m not able to then fight at the front with Red Bull, then, yeah, as I said I have to ask myself, what am I staying on the grid for? So that’s something I’ve also come to peace with.”
Ricciardo said he tried to appreciate the fact that it might be his final start.
“I tried to obviously enjoy it, a little bit like the end of ’22 with McLaren,” he said. “I was aware maybe that was my last race, so I tried to enjoy that. I think I’m in a much happier place now in the sport than I was then. So if this is it, let’s say I have a little bit more peace. I’m proud of the career.
“Obviously, I tried to become World Champion, I tried to become the best at something in the world. I think it is a tall task that we ask from ourselves. And obviously, some achieve it, some don’t.
“So yeah, in the end, if I came up a little short, I also can’t be too hard on myself. I’m happy with the effort I put in, and I think for that, there’s no sadness or feeling of regret, or what could have been. I think put my best foot forward.”
Ricciardo admitted that it was getting harder to keep up with younger drivers.
“I’m also 35, and I still showed the pace that I’ve had over the years, but it’s obviously been evident that it’s been harder for me to show it every weekend.
“And maybe that is a little bit of an age thing. I think it definitely came easier for me when I was 25, as opposed to 35, but also maybe the competition is just increasing, I think that’s probably a common thing with all sports. Simulators are getting better, the kids are getting younger, and they have access to all onboards now, so they can watch and study everyone.
“Maybe it’s just the level has increased, and it’s probably a tall task for me to fight at that level, week in, week out. So I can’t be disappointed with that. I think I’m happy that once upon a time, I could do it, and that was a lot of fun.
“And I also would, if this is it, I want to make sure I walk away, or, let’s say, leave the sport with good memories of it, and it doesn’t get into that place where it’s just a grind, and I’m out in Q1 every weekend. That’s obviously not fun.”
