Ricciardo’s career came to an abrupt end in the days that following the Singapore Grand Prix.
Having been passed over as a replacement to Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing, the Australian was living on borrowed time.
With an eye to 2025, the decision was made to replace the eight-time grand prix winner at RB before the end of the season, affording Liam Lawson a chance to gain experience ahead of the new campaign.
Unannounced over the Singapore Grand Prix, it was known to those in the team that it would be Ricciardo’s final race – saving something extraordinary.
“We had agreed with Daniel that we would not communicate it,” CEO of RB, Peter Bayer, told Auto Motor und Sport.
“We knew that we would look a bit outdated as a team. But we also did it to protect the driver. It was his wish.”
Though his future was all but sealed, Ricciardo refused to accept his fate and, according to Bayer, was adamant that he could reverse his fortunes and save his seat with a strong performance in Marina Bay.
“He believed right to the end that he would finish at the front in qualifying and show everyone,” Bayer said.
“I’ve never seen such mental strength in an athlete. And I’ve been in a lot of sports.”
Sadly for Ricciardo, it didn’t play out and he was one the five drivers eliminated at the end of Qualifying 1.
That triggered a sequence of events that would result in an early morning meeting, and the decision on how the 35-year-old’s career would come to a close.
“It was a terrible moment when he exited in Q1,” Bayer confessed.
“You could already hear on the radio that his world had collapsed.
“We then spoke to him again on Saturday.
“We sat together in our office at two o’clock in the morning and asked him what we should do now.
“He then told us that we should just let him drive the race. He just didn’t want any nonsense.”
Unable to make inroads in the race itself, Ricciardo found himself well down the order in the closing stages.
With no hope of a meaningful result, the team pitted him for soft tyres, affording him an opportunity to claim the fastest lap of the race on his final lap in F1.
Following the chequered flag, the Australian sat in the RB in parc ferme to savour it before climbing out for the final time.
He then received an emotional standing ovation and a guard of honour as he returned to the RB hospitality suite.
“As a team, we put ourselves in front of him,” Bayer said of the decision to replace Ricciardo with Liam Lawson.
“If Daniel had driven all the way to Abu Dhabi, then of course we would have celebrated his farewell with fireworks and a photo on the grid, just like [Kimi] Räikkönen back then.
“That’s what everyone would have wanted.”
