RB CEO Peter Bayer has opened up about Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 departure, explaining why the announcement of his exit was delayed until after his final race with Red Bull. The Singapore Grand Prix marked the 35-year-old’s last race before being replaced by Liam Lawson for the remainder of the season.
Bayer confirmed that Ricciardo personally requested that the news of his departure not be revealed ahead of the race weekend at Marina Bay Street Circuit. Although the news became official the following Friday, it had already been widely speculated as the weekend progressed.
Bayer revealed, “We had agreed with Daniel Ricciardo that we would not communicate it.” He continued, “We knew it would look outdated, but we did it to protect the driver and honor his wishes.”
Despite the setback, Ricciardo remained mentally strong. Bayer praised his determination, stating, “He believed until the very end that he would perform well in qualifying and show everyone. I’ve never seen such mental strength in an athlete.”
However, Ricciardo’s F1 exit took a turn when he failed to make it out of Q1 in qualifying, a moment Bayer described as “terrible.” “You could hear on the radio that his world had collapsed,” Bayer said. This moment marked a dramatic shift for the Australian driver, but despite his frustration, Ricciardo chose not to announce his exit immediately.
“We spoke to him again on Saturday. We sat together at two o’clock in the morning and asked him what to do next,” Bayer explained. “He said we should just let him race. He didn’t want any distractions.”
Despite the criticism Red Bull faced for its handling of Ricciardo’s mid-season departure, Bayer insisted that if circumstances had been different, the team would have celebrated Ricciardo’s farewell properly. “If Daniel had raced until Abu Dhabi, we would have celebrated his farewell with fireworks and a photo on the grid,” Bayer concluded, referencing the grand send-off Kimi Räikkönen received at his F1 exit.
This decision underscores the respect Red Bull had for Ricciardo’s wishes, even in difficult circumstances, while also honoring the team’s commitment to their drivers.
