Kylie Minogue drops awful news on Daniel Ricciardo
Kylie Minogue says her love for Daniel Ricciardo is “pure” after the pop queen signalled the end of the line for her fellow Aussie.
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Kylie Minogue says her love for Daniel Ricciardo is “pure” after finding herself in the unfortunate position of waving the chequered flag on her fellow Aussie’s career.
Ricciardo showed all the signs of an athlete about to get the sack when he said he wanted to “savour the moment” at the end of Sunday night’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The Visa Cash App RB driver admitted it was “potentially” his final race in Formula 1 as rumours swirl he will be replaced by Kiwi rising star Liam Lawson before the United States Grand Prix in Texas next month.
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Ricciardo’s race was ruined before it even began on Sunday night with his team putting him on a disastrous three pit-stop strategy that saw him finish 18th after also being knocked out in the opening round of qualifying on Saturday.
It’s why the chequered flag waved at the Marina Bay street circuit was so much more significant for the 35-year-old — it is likely the final time he ever sees one.
Unfortunately for Minogue, the honour of waving the flag to sigal the end of the race also ended up being the moment the axe was brought down on her Aussie friend.
Minogue was one of the headline performers at the Grand Prix alongside Lenny Kravitz and the former Neighbours actor dazzled while visiting team garages along pit lane across the weekend.
Her whirlwind cameo at the track ended with a tough question about Ricciardo’s future.
“You know my love for Danny is ever pure and strong,” she told Sky Sports with a grin.
The 56-year-old is a big Formula 1 fan and has attended the Australian Grand Prix and Monaco Grand Prix multiple times — but Sunday night was the first time she was given the position as honorary marshall when Lando Norris crossed the line to win the race.
“Someone pinch me! Wow, the chequered flag at the Singapore Grand Prix,” she posted on Instagram.
Minogue and Ricciardo have crossed paths several times in recent years and recently posted a funny video of the pop queen having a laugh while standing behind the F1 driver and getting handsy with his shoulders.
The emotions felt by Ricciardo on Sunday night were very different.
The Perth product was nearly in tears when asked about his future.
“A lot of emotions, because – look I’m aware it could be it, and I think it’s also just (being) exhausted after the race,” Ricciardo explained.
“So it’s like a flood of many emotions and feelings and exhaustion.
“The cockpit is something that I got very used to for many years. I just wanted to savour the moment.”
Ricciardo received a guard of honour into the VCARB team area and was voted driver of the day in a touching tribute from F1 fans.
While no decision has yet come down from Red Bull about his future, Ricciardo was near tears while speaking with F1TV. He did hold his emotions together when speaking with Sky Sports.
Asked about how he’d feel to say goodbye, Ricciardo was honest with himself.
“I also have to acknowledge why I came back after the McLaren stint,” he said.
“I always said I don’t just want to come back just to be on the grid, I want to try fighting back at the front and get back with Red Bull. Obviously it didn’t come to fruition.
“So then I also have to ask myself the question, ‘What else can I achieve? What else is there to really go for?’
“I put my best foot forward and maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen but I also have to look back on what it’s been — 13 or so years. I’m proud.
“Typically the driver of the day isn’t something us drivers look too much into, but today I can say it’s something I’m appreciative of. That one today means a little something.”
Sky’s Simon Lazenby said the chat “seemed reasonably final”.
Earlier Lazenby also posed the hypothetical over whether Ricciardo would have thrived had he stayed a Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen instead of going to Renault and then McLaren.
Speaking again with Sky later, Ricciardo was asked if he regretted moving away from Red Bull when he left at the end of the 2018 season.
“I think at the time in my head it made sense,” Ricciardo said.
“Was it the best decision of my career? Of course you could argue no it wasn’t. I’m OK with that.
“Also there was no guarantee that if I stayed that 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 eventually it brought me back into the family. I don’t want to look back and be sad or bitter about anything. Everything happens for a reason.”
Asked if it was the last time we’d see him, Ricciardo said: “Possibly.
“I have to acknowledge that. Obviously it’s been a bit of a race by race situation and I would have loved the weekend to go better — it didn’t — so I have to be prepared for this maybe being it.
“I do feel at peace with it. At some point it’ll come for all of us.
“When you’ve experienced the highs of winning, you can only fight for P10 for so long. There is nothing like that feeling and if that no longer is possible, and if it is becoming harder … maybe that’s 35, maybe that’s the competition becoming harder, who knows.”
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