Ricciardo’s Abrupt Exit Sparks Outrage: F1 World Demands a Deserving Farewell for the Beloved Driver

Daniel Ricciardo’s sudden ouster from F1 has led F1 fans to criticize Red Bull for not giving him a proper farewell, but Helmut Marko said this was due to “various factors and obligations”, I explained.

Daniel Ricciardo knew the Singapore weekend would likely be his last race amid speculation, but official confirmation from RB came just four days later on Thursday.

X fans reacted mainly with anger towards RB and Red Bull for not giving a proper farewell to Daniel Ricciardo, calling it “embarrassing” and “shocking”, and saying that Ricciardo “deserves better” and “properly criticizing that a farewell was not appropriate.” .

“Everyone treated him like crap,” one user wrote, adding: “Ricciardo’s departure is one of the worst things I’ve witnessed in over 60 years of watching F1.”

Not only the fans but also the F1 media criticized the sudden dismissal of Daniel Ricciardo.

“Daniel Ricciardo did not leave Singapore in the right way, given his talent,” wrote Frédéric Ferré of French newspaper L’Equipe.

Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Tobias Gruner agrees. “Daniel Ricciardo really deserved to say goodbye to F1 in style.”

However, according to Helmut Marko, due to various factors, people around the world did not know that this was Ricciardo’s last race, although Ricciardo himself claimed to have known it in advance.

“The times were a combination of various factors and obligations,” Marko told Motorsport-total.com.

“I think he was briefed and set the fastest lap as a great farewell performance.”

“However, he showed he has potential. It was a flawless performance, although not consecutively or at a level that would justify joining Red Bull Racing.”

“I think it was clearly communicated that he had to be much better than Yuki Tsunoda, and he only managed that in a few races. So the prodigal son joins Red Bull Racing. Unfortunately, it’s clear that this story didn’t work.”

“He said very well that he has come to terms with himself and accepts the situation. Let’s see what his plans are for the future.”

“Since he moved to Renault he has lost his winning instinct. I can’t explain what happened”

Red Bull had until the end of September to select a contract option for 22-year-old New Zealand driver Liam Lawson. On the other hand, RB’s main sponsors, Visa and CashApp, are believed to have strongly supported Ricciardo’s stay.

It is said that it was Ricardo’s management company, Creative Artists Agency, who introduced Visa and CashUp to the Faenza team.

But for Red Bull, the decision to use Lawson for the remaining races of 2024 is a strategic one, given that Ricciardo is not up to the task of returning to a major F1 team.

“I’d like to make a comparison,” Marco admitted.

“How does Lawson stack up against Yuki Tsunoda? This will tell us what the driver combinations of both teams will be in the future.”

There are also rumors that Sergio Perez may announce his retirement from F1 at next month’s Mexican Grand Prix.

“We have to look to the future,” Marco said. “We have a lot of young drivers in the locker room like (Isaac) Hajar, Lawson and Ayumu Iwasa.”

Regarding Ricciardo’s criticism of Red Bull for delaying the news so long, Marko said: “He himself is satisfied with it.”

“He has accepted the situation and let’s see what his plans are for the future.”

Category: F1 / Daniele Ricardo / red bull racing / Visa Cash Up RB