How every F1 driver reacted to Daniel Ricciardo’s exit as Lewis Hamilton calls him a ‘legend’

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Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 career looks to be over. RB announced on Thursday that Liam Lawson would replace him for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Ricciardo has lost his seat once before, with McLaren paying him off at the end of 2022. He found his way back onto the grid with the Red Bull junior team (AlphaTauri), but this looks like the end.

The 35-year-old doesn’t appear to be part of Christian Horner’s plans for 2025, and no other team is likely to take him on after an underwhelming season. Thus Ricciardo’s 257th start at the Singapore Grand Prix looks set to be his last.

The Australian won eight of those races and stood on the podium 32 times. Only seven of the 22 drivers who have raced in the sport this year have sprayed the champagne on more occasions.

Ricciardo took to Instagram after Thursday’s announcement to thank the ‘teams and individuals’ who had helped him achieve him success in the sport. He also paid tribute to his fans before teasing the ‘next adventure’.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen send messages to Daniel Ricciardo after RB exit

Max Verstappen, Ricciardo’s former teammate at Red Bull, was among those to comment on the post. He urged him to keep his ‘head up’, assuring him there were ‘many more beautiful moments to come’.

Lando Norris, who raced alongside him for two years at McLaren, wrote ‘ly [love you] brother’. Esteban Ocon congratulated him for all he achieved and added that he’d ‘learned a lot’ from Ricciardo during their days Renault days.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton also offered praise, calling him a ‘legend’. Fellow Mercedes driver George Russell said he was ‘going to miss’ Ricciardo, a message echoed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc posted his own Instagram story commending ‘the one and only’ Ricciardo and wishing him ‘good luck with everything’. Compatriot Oscar Piastri, who replaced him at McLaren, also sent his congratulations, as did Pierre Gasly.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso expressed excitement for his ‘new adventures’. The comments underline just how popular Ricciardo is within the F1 paddock.

Why Guenther Steiner wasn’t ‘happy’ after watching one of Daniel Ricciardo’s last interviews

Ricciardo made his F1 debut at the 2011 British Grand Prix, racing for backmarkers Hispania on an effective loan from Red Bull. Hamilton, Alonso and Sergio Perez were the only drivers to share the grid with him at his first and (potentially) last races.

Naturally, they are also the only trio who have amassed more starts than Ricciardo among the current crop. He overtook Riccardo Patrese in Singapore to reach the all-time top 10.

He became known for his signature smile but the post-Red Bull years of his career were largely bruising. For Guenther Steiner, it culminated in a dejected interview after qualifying at Marina Bay, where he’d suffered a Q1 exit.

Steiner wasn’t ‘happy’ watching Ricciardo, suggesting he was no longer enjoying the sport. Perhaps, in that sense, his departure is for the best.