Zak Brown tells Red Bull what they should do with Daniel Ricciardo ahead of potential Formula 1 exit

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Daniel Ricciardo was one of the highest-rated drivers on the Formula 1 grid before he joined McLaren in 2021. It was in his two years with the Woking outfit that his career began to unravel.

Ricciardo had taken the stunning decision to leave Red Bull at the end of 2018. He’d won seven Grands Prix for Christian Horner’s squad but feared that the team was gravitating towards emerging superstar Max Verstappen.

He took a gamble on midfield-dwelling manufacturer Renault, but they weren’t able to make the step forward that he anticipated. While he bagged a couple of podiums for the Enstone outfit, he took the opportunity to join McLaren when Carlos Sainz moved to Ferrari.

Ricciardo added an eighth winners’ trophy to his cabinet with a shock victory at the 2021 Italian GP after Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen crashed. But that proved to be a rare highlight as Lando Norris ruthlessly dominated the intra-McLaren battle.

He’d signed a three-year contract with the team but they paid him off at the end of 2022 so they could move on. Compatriot Oscar Piastri arrived as his successor.

Ricciardo would drop off the F1 grid altogether before Nyck de Vries’ mid-season exit opened the door for a return to RB (then AlphaTauri). Nobody had quite been able to explain his dramatic loss of form at McLaren.

Zak Brown calls for Red Bull to let Daniel Ricciardo see out 2024 season

Speaking to Sky after Norris’ victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, McLaren CEO Zak Brown offered his verdict on Ricciardo’s future. The Australian may well have driven in his last F1 race at Marina Bay.

Red Bull are expected to announce that Liam Lawson will partner Yuki Tsunoda for the final six races of 2024. This will likely spell the end of Ricciardo’s career.

While he’ll theoretically remain a candidate for 2025, it’s difficult to see him returning after being dropped for a second time. Brown is hopeful that Horner will perform a u-turn and at least allow him to finish the season.

He feels a lasting gratitude towards Ricciardo and thinks he’s owed that courtesy. But Ralf Schumacher says a clause in Lawson’s contract has already forced Red Bull’s hand.

“I hope it’s not his last race,” Brown said. “I would like him to at least finish the season. He’s a great person and brought me my first victory in Formula 1. He’s a family man. I hope he can finish the season and then we’ll see where he drives. If all the rumours are true.”

What Red Bull did at the Singapore Grand Prix that ‘upset’ Daniel Ricciardo’s camp

Ricciardo’s future was one of the biggest stories heading into the weekend. While he seemed increasingly resigned to his imminent departure, he didn’t receive confirmation of his fate,

Ricciardo’s camp are apparently ‘upset’ because Red Bull created a ‘messy’ situation. They felt he deserved clarity on his situation.

The 35-year-old is one of the most experienced drivers on the F1 grid, with 257 race starts to his name. He joined the grid back in 2011 with backmarkers HRT.

According to F1 insider Lawrence Barretto, Ricciardo feels he’s been unlucky this year. He’s improved his form while the RB car has regressed, which means it’s gone unnoticed.