Daniel Ricciardo’s stunning mid-season return to the Method 1 grid a yr in the past had the makings of the most recent dream ending within the sport.
However because the grid arrived in Singapore for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, that dream ending appears to have the sensation of a final stand.
Latest developments round him, in addition to the driving force’s inconsistent type, have seen that dream tackle extra of a nightmare feeling. And whereas this weekend marks his return to the Singapore Grand Prix, a race he missed final yr because of harm, there’s a thought that his time at Visa Money App RB F1 Staff — and probably within the sport itself — might be drawing to an in depth.
Ricciardo’s shock return to the grid a season in the past, changing the struggling Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri, was welcomed all through the paddock by journalists and Netflix producers alike. Whereas Max Verstappen and Purple Bull had been working away with the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, respectively, the return of the supremely marketable Ricciardo supplied one thing of a spark.
However that return was derailed by a apply crash on the Dutch Grand Prix that resulted in a damaged bone in his left hand, and Ricciardo’s subsequent surgical procedure sidelined him for a number of races. That handed a possibility to order driver Liam Lawson who capitalized on his likelihood with a number of spectacular performances, together with a ninth-place end on the Singapore Grand Prix.
At that time within the season, Lawson’s P9 was the crew’s greatest results of the yr.
In fact, Ricciardo returned to the grid and delivered a command efficiency of his personal, capitalizing on a powerful qualifying run — and a slipstream from teammate Yuki Tsunoda in each Q1 and Q2 — to qualify fourth on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. Ricciardo parlayed that right into a P7 within the Grand Prix itself. Which may have been his solely factors results of the yr, but it surely went into the books because the crew’s greatest.
AlphaTauri — now Visa Money App RB F1 Staff — confronted a troublesome determination filling out their 2024 driver lineup, finally rolling with the veterans in Tsunoda and Ricciardo, leaving Lawson sidelined as a reserve. Nevertheless, the difficulty of becoming three drivers into two seats was not the one inconceivable mathematical downside the group confronted. Past the 2 VCARB seats, the Purple Bull household additionally confronted the difficulty of becoming 4 drivers into three seats. Definitely, Max Verstappen is locked into considered one of their 4 seats so long as he desires it, however with Sergio Pérez coming into 2024 on the ultimate yr of his contract not solely did the three drivers at VCARB need a seat for 2024, however they had been additionally eying Pérez’s seat at Purple Bull for 2025.
A situation Ricciardo himself typically termed because the “fairytale” ending to his F1 story.
That dream situation took a significant hit this summer time when Purple Bull introduced that Pérez had signed a brand new cope with the crew that would maintain him in his present seat by way of 2026. That was adopted by Tsunoda asserting a brand new deal of his personal at VCARB, giving him one other yr in his present seat.
Three seats down with one remaining, and a number of drivers vying for that spot.
Whereas Ricciardo might need loved the within observe to that seat, and a powerful efficiency in Montreal through the Canadian Grand Prix maybe got here at a perfect time, reporting over the summer time illustrated simply how tenuous his grasp on that spot was.
First was the report that surfaced involving Lawson’s contract with Purple Bull. In response to Purple Bull Senior Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, Lawson’s contract with the crew comprises an escape clause. As such, if Lawson doesn’t get a seat at Purple Bull or VCARB, he’s free to discover different choices.
This comes at a less-than-ideal in case you are competing with him for a seat. Given the variety of spots nonetheless to be confirmed for 2025 — 9 for these conserving depend — Lawson might actually have choices. If you wish to maintain Lawson within the household, providing him a seat could also be preferable to seeing him stroll.
Then there was reporting, additionally prompted by feedback by Marko, that indicated that Purple Bull shareholders could also be pushing for a youthful driver to be in that seat at VCARB. Talking with Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung forward of the Austrian Grand Prix, Marko outlined {that a} transfer in a youthful route at Visa Money App RB F1 Staff could also be coming down from on excessive. “The shareholders have made it clear that [VCARB] is a junior crew and we’ve got to behave accordingly,” mentioned the Purple Bull advisor.
“The intention was for Ricciardo to qualify for a return to Purple Bull Racing with distinctive performances. That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, in order that plan is off the desk. We should put in a younger driver quickly,” continued Marko. “That will be Liam Lawson.”
That was again in the summertime. Now that Autumn is upon us, the dialog concerning Ricciardo has accelerated. Marko continues to trace at an announcement concerning Lawson following this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, with rumors swirling that Ricciardo may even get replaced by the crew forward of america Grand Prix in October.
That reporting compelled Ricciardo — underneath the watchful eyes of representatives from each VCARB and Purple Bull — to deal with his unsure future throughout media day Thursday in Singapore:
Now, EVERYTHING that will get reported within the F1 world, significantly on the subject of driver motion, wants context and a wholesome grain of salt or two. The nice physician Marko is actually not shy when providing a quote, and there might be a little bit of gamesmanship at play right here.
However issues do appear to be trending in a sure route.
Now, can Ricciardo get the RB01 “on the rostrum,” as he indicated was his plan throughout these feedback? If Friday’s first two apply periods are any indication, he might need an outdoor shot. Ricciardo was seventh-fastest in FP1 Friday, and sixth-fastest in FP2, and with teammate Yuki Tsunoda up within the high 5 for each periods, there’s potential for VCARB to ship a shocker, and Ricciardo himself to ship a press release drive along with his future within the playing cards.
Ricciardo sounded assured following apply on Friday.
“It was a very good day for the entire Staff. Yuki and I completed within the high seven in each periods. It was actually shut, I feel 4 of us completed inside two hundredths of a second. We’re pleased with the automotive,” mentioned Ricciardo in VCARB’s post-practice report. “There’s all the time some high-quality tuning to do, but it surely was good to see ourselves in good factors scoring positions in the present day. We now have a good bundle right here and look aggressive. I had numerous grip in the present day, and the circuit was actually enjoyable to drive. Hopefully our tempo stays tomorrow going into qualifying.”
However this does appear to be transferring rapidly, from “Ricciardo is likely to be in danger for 2025” to “Lawson is likely to be in that seat for 2025” to now “Lawson is likely to be in that seat come October.”
If, hypothetically talking, Lawson does take the second seat at VCARB, the place does that go away Ricciardo? In spite of everything, we’re speaking a few former race winner, and one of many sport’s best-known, and best-marketable, personalities. In a sport full of standard figures Ricciardo is close to the highest, no matter race type, and he attracts a crowd wherever he goes, like he did right here on the Miami Grand Prix on media day:
Photograph by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Photographs
Did I embrace this picture since you get an ideal view of the again of my head within the rapid bottom-left foreground with sun shades on my head? It’s actually a risk …
However getting again on observe right here, racing will not be an affordable endeavor. Driver marketability continues to play a task, even in the price cap period of F1. Success off the grid performs a task in success on the grid, and Ricciardo’s reputation off the observe is one other line on his resume, and an vital one at that.
However that’s the draw of Ricciardo, and in a sport the place driver advertising and marketing is all the time a consideration that would play a task in conserving him on the grid subsequent season. Nevertheless, if there’s not a spot for him within the Purple Bull household — and the transfer is certainly made to Lawson, both for the remainder of this season or for 2025 — then what’s left for Ricciardo in F1? The final seat up for grabs in such a scenario could be a spot at Sauber subsequent Nico Hülkenberg, however Valtteri Bottas and Gabriel Bortoleto are thought of the favorites there.
And if not in F1, you’ll count on Ricciardo to garner curiosity in different motorsport sequence. He might be a star in IndyCar, the place different drivers have moved following their F1 days. Would he have any curiosity in attempting his hand in NASCAR, or endurance racing? He’s a wildly standard driver and extremely marketable, and his racing days should not over, even when the door closes in some unspecified time in the future on his time in F1.
As for the Purple Bull group, they might be seeing the fruits of its knack for constructing expertise coming to fruition, as they strategy a call level concerning their 2025 drivers. In some unspecified time in the future, there was going to be an odd driver out. Lawson was that driver a yr in the past. However now the winds appear to be blowing in his favor, and in opposition to Ricciardo. From the crew’s perspective, they know what they’ve in Ricciardo, but when the thought is to organize a driver to take over Pérez’s seat following the expiration of his new deal, seeing what they honestly have in Lawson over a full season — if no more given the rumors of a transfer forward of Austin — is likely to be the sensible transfer.
As well as, Lawson will not be the one younger driver within the Purple Bull secure being linked with a possible F1 seat within the close to future. Isack Hadjar, who drives in F2, is making a “robust case” of his personal for a spot on the F1 grid, as Christian Horner said earlier this season. There is likely to be a thought inside the group that giving Lawson the remainder of this season may solidify a spot for him at VCARB subsequent yr, or open the door to Hadjar incomes that seat.
In spite of everything, Marko’s current feedback mirror VCARB’s earlier standing as that of a “junior” crew to Purple Bull. Throughout the Toro Rosso days and into the early AlphaTauri days, the sister crew was considered as extra of a proving floor. That might be one other indication that Lawson or Hadjar could be picked for that spot.
That’s the place Verstappen, for instance, received his begin.
If the group really desires to return to that mannequin, it could find yourself with Ricciardo on the skin trying in.
Bringing his goals of a fairytale ending to a troublesome conclusion.