Ted Kravitz explains ‘really weird’ scenario that could see Daniel Ricciardo return to F1 this season

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Daniel Ricciardo may have completed his final race for the Visa Cash App RB Formula 1 team.

The Singapore Grand Prix did not go to plan for RB or Daniel Ricciardo as his team once again failed to score points while rivals Haas picked up another top-ten finish through Nico Hulkenberg.

Ricciardo couldn’t get through Q1 on Saturday but teammate Yuki Tsunoda highlighted how much pace the car had by reaching Q3 and putting his car on the fourth row of the grid.

Unfortunately, the Japanese driver had a torrid start and was leapfrogged after Franco Colapinto’s mighty launch into the first corner and two other drivers putting him on the back foot.

RB put Ricciardo on an alternative strategy to try and take advantage of a potential early safety car but it never arrived and it became clear before long that the 35-year-old was unlikely to have any impact on the race.

That was until the final few laps when Ricciardo’s team pitted him for a third and final time and put him onto soft tyres.

READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Daniel Ricciardo’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Ricciardo recorded the fastest lap of the race and alongside his Driver of the Day, can at least leave with his head held high if that was to be his final race.

Ted Kravitz was speaking on Ted’s Notebook in the Singapore paddock and admitted it looked likely that Sunday was the end of Ricciardo’s season.

However, he also hypothesised about a scenario that could see Ricciardo return to the F1 grid one last time this year.

Red Bull do like to do things very differently to the rest of the grid when it comes to their drivers.

Ted Kravitz describes ‘very weird’ situation that could see Daniel Ricciardo race in F1 again this season

Talking about the Australian’s future, Kravitz said: “It looks like we have seen the last race in Formula 1 at least unless something really weird happens with Christian Horner deciding that Daniel Ricciardo has one swansong race in Abu Dhabi at the end of the year to replace Sergio Perez to really see him out in style, it looks like we’ve seen the last race in Formula 1 for Daniel Ricciardo.

“They didn’t finish with any points today; Daniel Ricciardo was 18^th, Yuki Tsunoda was P12.

“Bad start for Yuki, down three places to P11, Ricciardo was a soft starter, only went to lap 11 before he had to stop onto the medium.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Visa Cash App RB F1 Team from team principal to Red Bull relationship

“Yuki stopped on lap 35 onto the soft, was frustrated behind Daniel Ricciardo, demanded to be let past and eventually was by his team.

“Daniel then pitted again on lap 48 and re-joined last and then pitted for a fastest lap attempt which was successful on the last lap.”

Kravitz then thanked Ricciardo for his immense contribution to Formula 1 over the past 13 years.

He included some of his more eccentric moments in his thanks, including the time he rode into the paddock on a horse in Austin, ironically, the race he now looks set to miss out on after the summer break.

Sergio Perez still under pressure after scoring one point in last two F1 races

It’s no secret that Ricciardo was brought back into the Red Bull fold due to his relationship with Christian Horner and the fact that at his best he could challenge Sergio Perez for the second Red Bull seat.

Horner even considered replacing Perez with Ricciardo at one point earlier in the year but in reality, he’s never been close enough to that level for a swap to happen.

Perez survived potentially being dropped during the summer break and since then his form has still been shaky.

He was brilliant in Baku until a late crash denied him points and a potential podium but he was nowhere near good enough in Singapore.

If Liam Lawson does take Ricciardo’s seat and impresses, he may be lined for more than just a full-time RB race seat in 2025.