Two challenging years
The last two seasons in Formula 1 were anything but easy for Daniel Ricciardo, both spent with Racing Bulls (AlphaTauri in 2023) and not contested full-time. Returning in 2023 after losing his McLaren seat, the Australian faced a setback with an injury during qualifying for the Dutch GP, which limited him to just seven races that year.
The separation and departure from F1
Reconfirmed for 2024, the former Red Bull driver did not have a positive championship, as evidenced by only three points finishes. A series of unsatisfactory results continually put his position in doubt, favoring Liam Lawson, who eventually replaced him just days after the Singapore GP. Moreover, at the end of the race at Marina Bay, Daniel Ricciardo appeared nearly in tears during media interviews, giving the impression that his time was coming to an end, leaving the seat once again to Lawson.
Laurent Mekies’ regret
Months later, Racing Bulls Team Principal Laurent Mekies revisited the 35-year-old’s departure, admitting some regret about how it was handled: “It was frustrating, and it wasn’t ideal to approach the weekend in that way, first and foremost for him, both professionally and personally, and for the entire team around him,” he explained to the media. “Daniel was aware of it; we had discussed it before the weekend, and for many different reasons, we chose together to go into the weekend without announcing it. From that point onward, we had to address the issue.
It’s a decision that, in hindsight, we might have made differently, but it’s something we, as a team and as drivers, agreed upon. I believe that, one way or another, we all found a way to express how much love there is from the sport and the fans for Daniel. I hope I can say that the amount of love and empathy we felt that weekend was exceptional and shows that he is more than just an F1 driver—he is bigger than F1 itself.”
Leave a Reply