‘Danny Ric’, or the Honey Badger, has been a staple of the Formula One paddock since 2011. He is an Australian F1 driver, eight-time race winner, and overall comedian on track. If you don’t know him, you would recognise his laugh, smile, or humour on Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive.’ Or from making the ‘shoey’ mainstream. Yet, as charismatic as he is, his sudden exit from Formula 1 has left fans, teams, and even his fellow drivers asking the same question: what happened?
He debuted with HRT in 2011 at the British Grand Prix. Following that, he joined the Red Bull junior team, Scuderia Toro Rosso (which later became Alpha Tauri) where he was promoted to the Red Bull Senior team in 2014. He stayed there for four years, peaking at third in the world drivers championship. Then, in 2019, with the start of the Netflix Show Drive to Survive, Ricciardo switched to Renault, where he stayed until 2021. He then switched to Mclaren, where his Monza race win gave Mclaren CEO, Zac Brown, his first ever tattoo. However, the relationship between Ricciardo and McLaren was plagued with issues, and at the end of the 2022 season, Australian rookie Oscar Piastri swiftly replaced him. Coming to terms with the fact that his Formula 1 career was over, Ricciardo was welcomed back as the prodigal son of Redbull as a reserve driver in 2023. During his reserve driver era, Alpha Tauri, now Visa Cash App RB (or VCARB) let go of their junior driver, Nyck DeVries, after ten races in the 2023 season. Thus, welcome back, Danny Ric.
His return to VCARB, however, was not without its challenges. A crash at the Dutch Grand Prix resulted in a broken hand, leading to Liam Lawson stepping in for the next five races. Despite this setback, Ricciardo’s determination shone through as he returned for the remaining five races, culminating in AlphaTauri’s highest points finish of the year with a seventh place in Mexico.
The 2024 season hasn’t been much better. Crashing out of two races and unable to score consistent points, the pressure was on for everyone’s favourite driver. With Redbull’s harsh history of axing underperforming drivers, William’s dropping their underperforming driver, the GOAT Logan Sargent (he needs a whole other article), and Redbull being overtaken by Mclaren in the constructors, something had to give, and unfortunately for Ricciardo and F1 as a whole, it was his time racing.
Heading into the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, the rumour mill was ablaze with speculation about Daniel Ricciardo's future. From him choking up during press conferences to fellow drivers giving strangely ominous goodbyes, and even commentators seemingly commemorating him, fans were left confused and anxious as no official announcement had been made. Despite the uncertainty, Ricciardo secured the fan-voted Driver of the Day, with many realising it might be their last chance to vote for him.
Adding to the drama, Ricciardo clocked the fastest lap of the race, snatching an extra point from Lando Norris. His fastest lap ensured that Max Verstappen, his old teammate, would clinch the championship, even if he finished second to his championship rival, Lando Norris, in every remaining Grand Prix and sprint, regardless of any further fastest lap bonuses.
After the race, Ricciardo lightened the mood by joking,
At the end, fastest lap—I’m kind of hoping Max wins by a point now, because I’ve just guaranteed myself a very nice Christmas present."
In late September, news was announced that up-and-coming rookie, Liam Lawson, would replace Daniel Ricciardo. Lawson, who had previously replaced Ricciardo during his arm injury, had been itching to get into F1 since his debut. Ricciardo said on his Instagram, “I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and wonderful and has been a journey… It’ll always have its highs and lows but it’s been fun and truth be told I wouldn’t change it.”
BREAKING: Daniel Ricciardo to leave RB, the team have announced
However, F1 fans were outraged over the news, not just because their favourite driver was leaving, but Ricciardo not only couldn’t finish the season but wasn’t even told that he was leaving the sport until after the Singapore Grand Prix. There were no doughnuts for driver farewells, fan processions, or anything from the Red Bull team, who have had an extensive history with the driver. No public comments other than a heart emoji on Instagram ‘💙’. One commenter said, “He deserves much more than a silly Instagram post,” Another said, “Thanks, admin, a whole fandom is crying now.” Considering everything he has done for the sport through engaging with fans on the grid and in Drive to Survive. This is an undeserving send-off for one of Formula 1’s most charismatic drivers.
It saddens me that Ricciardo’s Formula 1 career has been plagued by bad timing. Every time he moved to leave a team, they suddenly reached a peak in their car design and engineering. This remained true with Redbull, who were already scoring race wins, and Ricciardo had his most successful season there. After his departure, Redbull became a constructors championship-winning team, and his former teammate Max Verstappen became a 3x World Champion. In addition, Mclaren, who was in a slump during Ricciardo’s tenure, seemed to revitalise themselves this year, allowing them to challenge for wins and become a genuine threat to the world drivers and constructors championships.
I personally believe that Ricciardo was not only a victim of Red Bull’s severe expectations, but his leaving was also a warning shot for Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez, another driver in the Red Bull factory whose underperformance led to Red Bull losing its lead in the constructor's championship. Blitzians, I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t last the whole season, either.