Daniel Ricciardo dropped off the Formula 1 grid with a quarter of the 2024 season to go. Liam Lawson replaced him at the Racing Bulls team.
When Ricciardo rejoined the Faenza outfit in 2023, his long-term aim was to return to Red Bull. While Racing Bulls are nominally a separate entity, there was a clear path back to Christian Horner’s squad.
However, Ricciardo didn’t perform well enough to justify a promotion. There was perhaps a slight improvement from his miserable McLaren days, but this was no revival.
Horner and Helmut Marko decided to give Lawson six races to audition for the second Red Bull seat. And he showed enough to secure the spot alongside Max Verstappen.
Ricciardo considers himself retired from F1, sources close to the Australian have confirmed. As such, any rumours of a second comeback with Cadillac, or indeed another F1 team, should be dismissed.
But that doesn’t mean he won’t return to the paddock at all. Indeed, Giedo van der Garde said Ricciardo should go into television because he has the personality to thrive behind the camera.
Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 commentator appearance wasn’t ‘received with cheers’
Ricciardo has already commentated on a Formula 1 race, as pointed out by Motorsport NL. He was the Red Bull reserve driver in the first half of 2023 after losing his spot at McLaren.
Ahead of the Canadian GP, ESPN offered him the chance to appear on an alternative broadcast with comedian Will Arnett. However, the consensus was that ‘it didn’t go very well’.
Ricciardo’s commentary debut wasn’t ‘received with cheers’. As such, it seems unlikely that he’ll follow the path of ex-drivers like Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button or Martin Brundle.
However, he could still be a pundit outside the commentary box. It’s ‘certainly not’ out of the question that he takes up a role in the media.
The crash that nearly ended Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career
Ricciardo received a £23.6m severance payment from McLaren in 2022. The team had lost hope of extracting his best form and wanted a fresh start with compatriot Oscar Piastri.
Piastri has a poorer record than Ricciardo in qualifying, but has generally been a much stronger teammate to Lando Norris. Thus Zak Brown’s ruthless decision appears justified.
On reflection, Ricciardo’s crash at the 2023 Dutch GP set in motion the events leading to his RB axe. It gave Lawson the chance to showcase his abilities, and he pressurised the veteran driver throughout 2024.
Helmut Marko didn’t want Ricciardo to come back after his accident at Zandvoort, but Lawson had to wait. After a crushing couple of years, one can understand why the 35-year-old may want a break from the F1 world.
