Daniel Ricciardo ‘at peace’ with F1 future as he performs one final heroic act at Singapore Grand Prix

Australian star Daniel Ricciardo recognises the Singapore Grand Prix might be his last as an F1 driver – but the comeback kid had one final moment of magic on Sunday night.

Daniel Ricciardo insists he is “at peace” if the second chapter of his Formula 1 journey has come to an end and says he does not want to feel “sad or bitter” over his decision to leave Red Bull which changed the trajectory of his career.

After finishing 18th at the Singapore Grand Prix, Ricciardo appeared to be resigned to the likelihood of the night race “being it” for his F1 comeback with RB as Kiwi young gun and reserve driver Liam Lawson tipped to replace him for the next race in Austin.

But if the axe does fall again, the eight-time race winner performed one last heroic act for Red Bull after stealing the fastest lap off Lando Norris and his former team McLaren in the closing laps of the race, drawing appreciation from his former teammate Max Verstappen.

Asked after the race if the Singapore race marked the end for him, Ricciardo answered “possibly” before saying he was comfortable with that scenario.

“I have to acknowledge that obviously it has been a little bit of a race by race situation and I would obviously have loved the weekend to have gone better, but it didn’t so I have to be prepared for this maybe being it,” Ricciardo told Sky Sports.

Daniel Ricciardo acknowledges he may have raced for the last time in F1. Picture: Getty

“I do feel at peace with it. At some point it will come for all of us

“I tried to get back into Red Bull, it didn’t work out so then I also have to say, ’What else am I ultimately doing here and trying to achieve?’

“I think when you experience the highs of winning, you can only fight for P10 for so long.

“There is nothing like that feeling and it that no longer is possible, if it is becoming a little harder, I think that is the truth. I was able to do some moments of greatness this year, but it was tricker to do that week in week out.”

Of his fastest lap at the end of the race, Ricciardo said at the very least it should guarantee him a “nice Christmas present”.

“The last few laps … (it was suggested) we should go for the fastest lap and I thought ‘Why not?’,” Ricciardo said.

“If Max wins by a point (in the championship) then I just guaranteed myself a nice Christmas present.

“(It was) with a little bit of Red Bull in mind, but maybe just to have one last crack at doing a fast one if it is to be it.”

An eight-time Grand Prix winner in F1, Ricciardo said he was proud of what he had been able to achieve in the sport, despite the last six years not following the script he had wanted.

“I have to acknowledge why I came back after the McLaren stint and I always said I don’t want to come back just to be on the grid, I want to try and fight back at the front and get back with Red Bull,” Ricciardo said.

Daniel Ricciardo finished 18th, but produced the fastest lap of the day. Picture: Getty

“Obviously it didn’t come to fruition …. I put my best foot forward, maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I also have to look back on what it’s been, 13 or so years and I’m proud.

“Getting to Formula 1 was a dream, let alone being here for over a decade and having the chance to fight for wins.”

Ricciardo failed to relive the success of his five-year stint at Red Bull where he claimed all but one of his Grand Prix wins before leaving the team at the end of 2018.

He then moved onto underwhelming two-year stints at Renault and McLaren where he was axed with a year to run on his contract and replaced by Aussie young gun Oscar Piastri.

After then being signed as Red Bull’s third driver for 2023, he was thrown a career lifeline in a seat with Red Bull’s junior team mid-way through last season.

Daniel Ricciardo whips around the circuit in Singapore. Picture: Getty

Asked if he had any regrets over his decision to leave Red Bull, Ricciardo conceded it had not been the “greatest decision of my life”, but was comfortable with the choices he made.

“I think at the time everything in my head made sense, but was it the best decision of my career? Of course, you could argue that it wasn’t,” Ricciardo said.

“I’m OK with that. It’s one of those ones. Also there is no guarantee that had I stayed I would have done amazing and won this and that.

“Of course I’m not going to stand here and say that was the greatest decision of my life, but you live and you learn and obviously it eventually brought me back into the (Red Bull) family.

“I don’t want to look back and be sad or bitter about anything, everything happens for a reason.”

Should Singapore be his final RB race, Ricciardo said he would take some time to assess his future.

“It’s exhausting. If this is it and things move on without me, I think I will just give myself time to figure out what’s next,” he said.

“I don’t want to look back and go ‘Oh, poor me’. Maybe it’s something different, maybe I go on and climb mountains or something.”

Originally published as Daniel Ricciardo ‘at peace’ with F1 future as he performs one final heroic act at Singapore Grand Prix