Visa RB bid farewell to Daniel Ricciardo after the Singapore Grand Prix. After a questionable season with the junior team, he was replaced by Liam Lawson. Many fans expressed outrage that his dismissal was not communicated before the race weekend in Singapore. Visa RB CEO Peter Bayer now sheds light on Ricciardo’s final days in Formula 1.
After his dismissal from McLaren in 2022, Daniel Ricciardo returned to the then AlphaTauri in 2023. There, he replaced the underperforming Nyck de Vries. Initially, Ricciardo was supposed to be groomed for a return to Red Bull, but in the end, the eight-time race winner stayed with the junior team this year as well. After a mediocre season compared to teammate Yuki Tsunoda, the affable Australian had to give up his seat to Liam Lawson in September.
When Daniel Ricciardo drove his last race in Singapore, it was not yet clear to the general public that he would be replaced. A few emotional interviews after the race did give some hints. “We had agreed together that we would not yet communicate his exit,” Visa RB CEO Peter Bayer explained this week to Auto, Motor und Sport.
His World Came Crashing Down
Bayer further revealed that Daniel Ricciardo remained optimistic about his future in Formula 1 until the very end. “He believed until the last moment that he would be at the front in the qualifiers. He wanted to show everyone what he was capable of. I’ve participated in many sports, but I’ve never seen such a strong mentality in an athlete,” he said. Unfortunately, Ricciardo’s run ended early in Q1 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
“That was a terrible moment,” Bayer recalled. “His world came crashing down. We then sat together in the office until two in the morning to discuss what we should do. He then said that we should just let him finish the race.” Despite the premature departure, Bayer wants to emphasize that he still has a good relationship with the 35-year-old driver. “We gave him a fair chance,” he concluded. “The relationship between him and the team is still good.”
