“Driver Deserves a Season”: Jenson Button Finds Daniel Ricciardo Exit ‘Uncomfortable’

After last month’s Singapore GP, RB and its parent team Red Bull decided to part ways with Daniel Ricciardo, even though six races remained in the season. The timing of his dismissal has raised questions, with 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button being among the critics.

Button, on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, spoke about the manner of Ricciardo’s sacking. “I’ve never felt comfortable with that,” he admitted. “I feel that a driver deserves a season to really show what he can do because that’s what it is, right?

Ricciardo’s 2024 season never really took off, despite him setting out a lofty objective at the start, which was getting the Red Bull seat. Unfortunately, he did not get up to speed with the VCARB01 and spent the majority of the time in Helmut Marko’s bad books. The Austrian chief wanted Liam Lawson in his place.

Button, however, suggested that before making a final call on Ricciardo, they should have let him complete the campaign. “It’s a championship and it’s how many points you can score through that season, not just halfway through,” he stated.

In Singapore, it seemed as though Ricciardo knew his time was up. He was visibly emotional throughout the weekend and sure enough, just a few days later, his departure and Lawson’s arrival were announced.

Button also called Red Bull out for its habit of hiring and firing drivers quickly. “There’s only one team really that brings in drivers midseason takes drivers out of the seat midseason or three races in six races in and that team is Red Bull and and AlphaTauri [RB]”

That said, Button acknowledged that Ricciardo had enough time to turn his fortunes around. He could have proved Marko and Red Bull wrong by matching teammate Yuki Tsunoda at the very least, but failed.

What is next for Ricciardo in F1?

When Ricciardo lost his F1 seat in 2022, Red Bull brought him back in an ambassadorial role for the 2023 season. This time, however, a similar return seems unlikely.

With virtually no seat available for 2025, there were murmurs that the 35-year-old’s time in the sport was done. Ricciardo did not confirm those rumors, but his activities off the track—which includes dirt biking—suggested that he had made his peace with the fact that his F1 career was over.

Daniel Ricciardo sends “I’m retired” message in the heartwarming post: https://t.co/PT4noxLrIk

— Flyin18T Motorsports (@Flyin18T) October 16, 2024

However, a complete return to F1 can’t be ruled out. Some drivers, like Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, have fought their way back into the sport after a break, even when their careers seemed over.

Ricciardo could use this time to unwind, as the door to F1 will remain open—unless he chooses to retire himself.