DANIEL RICCIARDO has been brutally FIRED by Formula One Visa Cash App RB with immediate effect.
The Formula 1 fan favorite broke down in tears after the Singapore Grand Prix as news of his imminent sacking gathered pace.
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Daniel Ricciardo has been fired from F1 team RBCredit: Getty
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Ricciardo won eight F1 races during his career, becoming famous for his “shoes” celebration Credit: AFP or licensors
And now Ricciardo’s exit from motorsport has been confirmed for the second time.
The team released a statement saying goodbye to the Australian, nicknamed “Honeybadger”.
RB Team Principal Laurent Mekies said: “Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work over the last two seasons with us.
“Daniel was a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile.
“We will miss him, but he will always have a special place in the Red Bull family.”
Ricciardo, 35, returned to F1 with AlphaTauri, now RB, in Hungary last year, scoring points on five occasions.
Earlier this season, Ricciardo was rumored to replace Sergio Perez as the second driver in Red Bull’s main team to partner Max Verstappen.
Although it fell apart after that, Ricciardo’s form was not good enough to convince Red Bull bosses to keep him in place until the end of the season.
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He finished as the last of the runners who did not retire in his final race in Singapore on Sunday.
However, he stole the race’s fastest lap from McLaren’s Lando Norris to prevent him from scoring an extra point – prompting a row from McLaren boss Zak Brown.
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Reacting to his outing on Instagram, Ricciardo said: “I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and beautiful and it’s been a journey.
“Thank you to the teams and individuals who played their part.
“To the fans who love sports sometimes more than me haha thank you.
“It’s always going to have its ups and downs, but it’s been fun and to be honest, I wouldn’t change it.
“Until the next adventure.”
F1 2025 grid
Here are the confirmed driver line-ups for the F1 2025 season so far:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and TBC
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and TBC
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon
RB wasted no time in announcing Ricciardo’s replacement on the F1 grid.
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson, who made his debut with the team last season filling in for the injured Ricciardo, will take the seat until the end of the 2024 season alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Mekies said: “I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the team well.
“He drove for us last season and did well in difficult circumstances, so it will be a natural transition.
“It’s great to see young talents from the Red Bull family take the next step.
Ricciardo’s F1 career
2011 – Ricciardo made his F1 Grand Prix debut at Silverstone with Hispania before driving 10 races with HRT.
2012 – Ricciardo joined Toro Rosso for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
2014 – Ricciardo joins Red Bull to partner Sebastian Vettel.
He won his first race at the Canadian Grand Prix and took three wins and eight podiums that season to finish third in the championship standings.
2018 – Stayed with Red Bull until 2018, when tensions with teenager Max Verstappen were at their peak.
Halfway through the season, he announced that he was joining Renault for the 2019 season.
2019 and 2020 – Ricciardo struggled to progress with Renault after leaving Red Bull.
2021 – Joined McLaren for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, where he would earn his final career victory with a dramatic win at the 2021 Italian GP.
2022 – McLaren unceremoniously announced that they had agreed to cancel Ricciardo’s contract a year early. He stayed until the end of the season before running out of a place for 2023.
2023 – Ricciardo is named Red Bull’s reserve driver before replacing Nyck De Vries at the AlphaTaura in July.
2024 – Ricciardo is sacked by RB after the Singapore GP.
“We’re looking forward to putting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together.”
It is not clear what the future holds for the eight-time race winner – with victories becoming synonymous with his “shoe” celebrations – although a place on the 2025 schedule seems unlikely.
Lawson, 22, is expected to be named to the position later this season.
This means that the only available place on the grid is at Sauber alongside Nico Hulkenberg – with whom Ricciardo was partnered at Renault.
However, former Mercedes star Valtteri Bottas is expected to keep his place and drive for the team again next season.
The next F1 race isn’t until the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas on October 20.
Ricciardo leaves the championship in 14th place with 12 points.
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