Daniel Ricciardo lost his Red Bull seat rather unceremoniously after the Singapore GP. Many questioned why Red Bull, RB’s parent team, did not give him a proper farewell. Christian Horner suggested there were tensions between Helmut Marko and Ricciardo. In this context, journalist Will Buxton explained why Ricciardo’s message of ‘not without a fight’ was significant.
Horner, after Ricciardo’s sacking, revealed that Marko had wanted him out of RB as early as the Spanish GP. The Austrian did not consider Ricciardo’s start to 2024 good enough.
The honey badger was under a lot of pressure from Marko, and also other F1 entities including 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who publicly called him to be axed ahead of the Canadian GP. That’s when Ricciardo brought out a helmet that had the phrase ‘not without a fight‘ written on it, in Spain.
Buxton, in a recent tweet, wrote, “Horner’s admission that Marko wanted Ricciardo gone after Barcelona suddenly gives real context to Daniel’s handwritten note of defiance at the Spanish Grand Prix.”
Horner’s admission that Marko wanted Ricciardo gone after Barcelona suddenly gives real context to Daniel’s handwritten note of defiance at the Spanish Grand Prix. https://t.co/w0k59JgvwK
— Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) October 1, 2024
Ricciardo knew that Marko wanted him gone, and he faced added pressure from Villeneuve’s comments on his poor performances. However, a determined Ricciardo was unwilling to lose his seat without putting up a fight.
Unfortunately, Ricciardo lost. His performances never impressed Marko, and RB decided to replace him with Liam Lawson for the remainder of the season.
Ricciardo’s future in F1
Ricciardo has not announced his retirement from F1 yet, but many considered the 2024 Singapore GP to be his last race. He too, likely didn’t know when he would be back on the grid again and was visibly emotional as he left his car and the circuit.
In F1, Ricciardo’s options would be limited, for 2025 at least. Sauber is the only team with a seat available and Ricciardo is not on its shortlist.
NASCAR and IndyCar could have been potential options for Ricciardo. However, the Honey Badger expressed his fear of IndyCar, stating that he won’t be racing in the series. While he loves NASCAR and confirmed he would consider his options, he explained that he was uncertain whether the American series would provide him with the same thrill as F1.
