Sports · Motorsport · 3 hrs ago
Ricciardo says he hid pain and sadness after leaving Formula 1
Daniel Ricciardo says he hid his pain and sadness after his Formula 1 career ended.
Racing Bulls dropped the Australian driver after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix and replaced him with Liam Lawson, so he did not finish the season.
Ricciardo said he felt humiliated and as if he had failed because he could no longer perform as he once had.
His career began with HRT in 2011 and brought eight Grand Prix wins and 32 podiums across 257 starts.
He had previously considered quitting, but said people around him encouraged him to keep racing, and he is now grateful the team made the decision.
Ricciardo says he now looks back with more pride, and has spent more time with family and friends in Perth since leaving F1.
Daniel Ricciardo says he hid pain, sadness and humiliation in the months after leaving Formula 1 in 2024.
Racing Bulls replaced him with Liam Lawson after the Singapore Grand Prix, leaving Ricciardo unable to finish the season.
He said he had appeared cheerful in public while concealing how he felt.
Ricciardo said he now looks back on his career with more positivity and is grateful the team ended his time in F1.
His career included eight grand prix wins and 32 podium finishes from 257 starts.
- Who
- Daniel Ricciardo, the Australian former Formula 1 driver.
- What
- He says he hid pain, sadness and humiliation after his F1 exit.
- When
- After Racing Bulls dropped him following the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- He felt he had failed by not performing at the level he expected and not finishing the season.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Ricciardo began his Formula 1 career with HRT.
McLaren dropped Ricciardo at the end of the season, with Oscar Piastri taking his place.
Ricciardo returned with Red Bull’s junior team.
Racing Bulls replaced Ricciardo with Liam Lawson, ending Ricciardo’s F1 career.
- Formula 1 starts
- 257
- Grand prix wins
- 8
- Podium finishes
- 32
- Team that replaced Ricciardo
- Racing Bulls
- Replacement driver
- Liam Lawson
2 sources
What people are saying
I still don’t like how it ended but there’s also a part of me which is grateful they pulled the trigger because I wouldn’t want to be doing it now.
I understood it as I was just hiding from the humiliation
People saw me out in public, I was ‘haha and having a good time’, having a drink or whatever and I was just really hiding from what I really felt deep inside, which was a lot of pain and sadness.