The Singapore Grand Prix could be Daniel Ricciardo’s last Formula One race, the RB driver admits, with Liam Lawson set to replace him.
But Max Verstappen has urged his former teammate to look back on his career with pride – and maybe take some time off and ‘chill back at the farm’.
At the start of the year, many tipped Ricciardo to secure a seat back at Red Bull for 2025 alongside Verstappen should he perform well for junior team RB.
But the eight-time race winner hasn’t been able to recapture the magic that made him one of the best drivers on the grid only a few years ago.
It now seems almost certain that the Aussie will leave the sport for the second time in three seasons, as Sergio Perez extended his contract with Red Bull while RB have retained Yuki Tsunoda and plan to promote Lawson from reserve driver.
However, there is speculation that Lawson, who deputised for Riccardo last year when he broke his hand, can join a rival team instead should Red Bull not give him five races this year.
If true, with only seven races left, his promotion would likely come after this weekend’s race at Marina Bay, and while Ricciardo thinks it unlikely, he did not rule out the possibility of this grand prix being his last.
‘My first expectation is about next year, so that’s where I’m at the moment,’ the 34-year-old told reporters.
‘Obviously, I can’t give too many details, but in terms of contract, yeah, our dates pretty much come into this window now. So basically, I do expect a yes or a no for ’25.
‘Then, yeah, I’m aware of some talk and speculation about the rest of the season, but that [being replaced post-Singapore], for me, at the moment, I’m unaware of.
‘So, the decision I expect is for next year. But obviously, crazy things have happened in this sport, so I’m also not going to stand here too boastful and confident. I believe I will be, but let’s see.
‘We know how this sport works. You know, people have not seen through a season before, so it’s nothing new in some ways.
‘So, I don’t want to also be like, “oh, 100% I’ll bet all my house on it”. I’ve been around too long.’
If and when Lawson is confirmed for 2025, it would leave only one seat free on the grid for next year at bottom team Sauber, but it is not believed Ricciardo is in the running for it.
With his F1 career seemingly at an end, Verstappen has hyped up his former teammate saying: ‘Daniel is a great guy and he’s proven himself as a great F1 driver!
‘He’s achieved a lot, more than anyone could ever dream of. Even if it’s his last race, he can look back at something amazing that not many people can achieve.
‘And do something else maybe? Many other racing series? Maybe chill back at the farm?’ referring to Ricciardo’s well publicised personal life in the Australian outback.
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