Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 Career Comes to a Close

News Section Editor, Beth Nicholls, recaps the highs and lows of Daniel Ricciardo’s time in Formula 1 from 2011 to 2024,  with the bittersweet ending of his career being recently announced by the “Honey Badger.”

On September 25 2024, Daniel Ricciardo announced that he would be leaving RB, meaning he would no longer have a Formula 1 seat. This comes after a long and lustrous career that began in 2011 and saw him driving for HRT, Red Bull Racing, Renault, RB (Red Bull’s Junior Team, under various different names) and McLaren. 

There has been much speculation throughout 2024 about the future of Daniel Ricciardo and where he might end up. After the Summer Break, it was revealed that Ricciardo was slated to get Sergio Perez’s Red Bull seat, though this did not eventuate. During the weekend of the Singapore Grand Prix, rumours started circulating about this potentially being Ricciardo’s last race, which was finally confirmed five days later. 

Very rarely are athletes granted the chance to close their story with a bang and have the fairytale finish they wanted, an opportunity that Ricciardo was not afforded, with the official announcement not coming until after his last race. 

Riccardio’s 2011 Formula 1 debut began with HRT as part of a deal with Red Bull under their junior team, known as Scuderia Toro Rosso at the time. After joining Toro Rosso full-time in 2012, Ricciardo was then promoted to Red Bull in 2013 to replace retiring Australian Mark Webber, and be partnered with four-time defending world champion, Sebastian Vettel. 

Red Bull’s previous dominant era was unfortunately brought to an end in 2014, with the rise of Mercedes, which saw Ricciardo drive at the team during their least successful era. Mercedes had won both the WDC and WCC from 2014 to 2020, with driver Lewis Hamilton winning all but 2016, which was won by his teammate, Nico Rosberg. 

From 2014-2018 (his Red Bull stint), Ricciardo won seven grands prix, three of which were in 2014, the only non-Mercedes driver to win a race that year. His ability to be one of the only drivers to challenge Mercedes is already a huge accomplishment, but he also outperformed teammate Sebastian Vettel in 2014, finishing the year on the podium eight times, including the three wins. 

The last year at Red Bull was a rough one for Ricciardo, with much uncertainty surrounding the team’s new engine partnership with Honda starting in 2019, which then ultimately saw him sign with Renault for 2019 and beyond. 

Ricciardo’s move was a shock to many, though it was important to remember that Red Bull was working with the unknown in 2019 and not only was that a big uncertainty, but Red Bull were also shaping then 21-year-old Max Verstappen to be the future of the team. 

2019 saw a rocky start with Renault, but Ricciardo finished the season in ninth place, and with the combined efforts of him and his teammate, Nico Hülkenberg, they finished fifth in the WCC. 

Ricciardo then pushed the Renault to its limits in 2020, despite a rough start, he went on an eleven race point-scoring stint from the Belgium Grand Prix until the final race of the year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Ricciardo finished the season in fifth, whilst his teammate Esteban Ocon was all the way down in 12th. 

McLaren then became Ricciardo’s new home in 2021, yet another move that shocked people. He was replacing Carlos Sainz who had signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari, and would be partnered with Lando Norris. 

Ricciardo’s McLaren era was frustrating to say the least, with Norris consistently outperforming him. But in the end Ricciardo did what he was meant to do for McLaren - which was bring them a win. At the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, Ricciardo ended McLaren’s nine year drought, winning their first race since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. 

In August 2022, Ricciardo and McLaren announced that by mutual agreement his contract would be terminated, with McLaren favouring rising Australian, Oscar Piastri as his replacement. Following the Japanese Grand Prix qualifying in October, Ricciardo then announced that he would not have a seat for the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship. 

2023 saw Ricciardo start the season as Red Bull’s third driver, before he replaced Nyck de Vries’ AlphaTauri’s (Red Bull junior team) seat, and was back on the grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

In the second free practice of the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, Ricciardo broke a metacarpal bone in seven places, which saw Kiwi Liam Lawson replace him for five grands prix, before he returned for the United States Grand Prix. 

AlphaTauri was renamed RB Formula 1 Racing Team for 2024, and was where Ricciardo remained until the Singapore Grand Prix, now replaced by Liam Lawson. 

His last race at the Singapore Grand Prix was a weird and bittersweet one. Ricciardo didn’t get the goodbye he deserved, whilst also everyone (including himself) knowing that it could be his last. On a positive note, he not only got the fastest lap time for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, denying Lando Norris the opportunity of getting a Grand Slam, but also the fastest lap ever at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. 

Ricciardo had a long Formula 1 career, and was given a second chance after leaving McLaren, a chance that not many drivers are granted. 

Although he was well known for his late-braking and impressive overtakes, Ricciardo leaves a legacy much bigger than that. He will also be remembered for his enthusiastic, endearing persona and close bond with other drivers on the grid. 

More than just a driver on the grid, the Honey Badger will certainly be missed.