Ricciardo has 'good idea' F1 career might be over

Daniel Ricciardo says he has "a bully idea" that he mightiness person driven his past title successful Formula 1.

The Australian, who has won 8 races successful a profession that dates backmost to 2011, is tipped to beryllium replaced astatine Red Bull’s RB squad earlier nan adjacent title successful Austin, Texas, by reserve driver Liam Lawson.

Asked if mounting fastest thigh astatine nan Singapore Grand Prix, which he vanished last, was a last hurrah, Ricciardo told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Possibly, possibly, yeah. So if it is, I conjecture a bully measurement to opportunity adios.”

He added: “I americium not excessively judge what nan scheme is, but I mean, look, I’ve evidently sewage a bully idea.”

Ricciardo mounting fastest thigh generated immoderate contention because it took nan constituent for it distant from McLaren’s Lando Norris, who won nan title and is successful a title conflict pinch Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

It did not thief RB successful nan title because a driver only earns nan constituent for fastest thigh if he finishes successful nan apical 10.

Asked why nan squad had pitted him for caller tyres astatine nan extremity of nan race, a spokesperson for RB said: "If it was to beryllium his past race, we wanted him to spell retired connected a high."

The RB spokesperson added that nan squad did not cognize whether a determination had been made. Ricciardo’s early will beryllium decided by Red Bull management, chiefly squad main Christian Horner and motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.

Ricciardo said: "I conjecture it (could) thief Max retired by Abu Dhabi truthful possibly location is simply a Christmas coming coming if he wins by a point."

Verstappen said: "He tin inquire for immoderate he wants."

The Dutchman, who was team-mate pinch Ricciardo astatine Red Bull from 2016-2018, paid tribute to nan 35-year-old.

"He’s a awesome guy,” Verstappen said. "We ever had a awesome relationship. We had a sporty rivalry successful nan team.

"He will beryllium remembered arsenic a awesome driver, arsenic a awesome person. He has a awesome character. it’s very uncommon personification hates him. In a fewer years’ clip erstwhile I won’t beryllium present immoderate more, we will beryllium backmost and person a brew and retrieve each those years together."

Ricciardo near Red Bull for Renault astatine nan extremity of 2018 and spent 2 seasons successful nan French team, successful which he performed competitively, earlier moving to McLaren successful 2021.

Once there, he struggled to get connected nan gait of team-mate Norris, and was dropped aft nan 2022 season, a twelvemonth earlier nan extremity of his contract.

Ricciardo landed a domiciled arsenic Red Bull reserve for 2023 and was brought backmost to a title spot halfway done past play arsenic a replacement for Dutchman Nyck de Vries, whose performances for nan inferior squad had not been capable to fulfill management.

But 2 races into his return, Ricciardo collapsed his manus successful a clang astatine nan Dutch Grand Prix and was replaced by Lawson for 5 events.

Red Bull’s dream successful bringing him backmost was that he mightiness retrieve nan shape he had shown pinch them past decade and go a imaginable replacement for Sergio Perez arsenic Verstappen’s team-mate.

But much often than not he has been outperformed by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Ricciardo told Sky Sports: "I person to admit why I came backmost aft nan McLaren stint and I ever said I didn't want to travel backmost conscionable to beryllium connected nan grid, I wanted to conflict astatine nan beforehand and get backmost pinch Red Bull.

"It didn't travel to fruition, I besides person to inquire myself nan mobility of what other could I execute and what other is location to really spell for.

"I put my champion ft guardant and possibly nan fairytale ending didn't happen, but I besides person to look backmost connected what it's been, 13 aliases truthful years, I'm proud."

Ricciardo had to choke backmost tears erstwhile asked why he had sat truthful agelong successful nan cockpit of his car aft nan race.

He said: "A batch of emotions. I americium alert it could beryllium it. Just exhausted aft nan race, truthful a flood of emotions and feelings and exhaustion, nan cockpit is something, I got… very utilized to for galore years. Just wanted to savour nan moment."