How Daniel Ricciardo was going to be ‘honoured’ at the US Grand Prix before being dropped by RB

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Daniel Ricciardo is one of the most popular racing drivers in the United States. That’s why the timing of his RB exit is particularly unfortunate.

RB title sponsors Visa and Cash App lobbied for Ricciardo to stay because of his value in the US. He’ll miss not only the upcoming race in Austin (20 October) but also the Las Vegas Grand Prix next month (24 November).

Christian Horner and Helmut Marko felt this was their last opportunity to make a change. Ricciardo hadn’t met expectations, but on performance alone, he arguably deserved to see out the season.

These, however, were exceptional circumstances. Red Bull felt they needed to evaluate Liam Lawson, as a potential alternative to the chronically underperforming Sergio Perez.

Lawson would have a four-week break to prepare with his engineers before he was thrust into a triple-header. Making a change midway through the US-Mexico-Brazil sequence would have been ill-advised.

In theory, the team could have waited for the three-week break between Brazil and Vegas. But that would have given them just three races to assess whether Lawson was Red Bull material.

Axed RB driver Daniel Ricciardo will receive keys to the city of Austin

David Coulthard expected Ricciardo to attend the US Grand Prix even after losing his seat. He thought it could be a ‘media masterstroke’ for the Australian, who would attract huge publicity.

But Ricciardo has decided not to attend the race, much to the disappointment of some spectators no doubt. He may feel it’s unfair on his replacement – Ricciardo has given Lawson helpful advice – or he may simply wish to retreat from the public eye after a bruising spell.

According to F1 photographer and compatriot Kym Illman, he was due to receive the ‘keys to the city’ of Austin as part of a special ceremony. Ricciardo’s absence is a blow to organisers, who see him as a big ‘drawcard’.

Still, they will present him with the honour at a later date. Ricciardo’s F1 career is likely over but he’s previously expressed interest in racing in the US through NASCAR.

The moment Netflix knew Daniel Ricciardo would be the star of Drive to Survive

Many US fans would have become aware of Ricciardo, one of F1’s most popular characters, through Netflix’s Drive to Survive series. He quickly became the poster boy for the show, which first aired in 2019.

Ricciardo was Netflix’s favourite ‘straight away’, making an instant impression on the crew in 2018 as Red Bull granted extensive access. His future was one of the biggest storylines in the first season as he made the sensational decision to join Renault.

Even though he won’t be racing in 2025, barring a remarkable twist, they may try to keep him involved. He could, for instance, contribute as a pundit.

Netflix were also ‘sad’ to lose Guenther Steiner, who became known for his expletive-laden rants. Haas decided to let him go, with Ayao Komatsu replacing him as team principal.