Why F1 Singapore Grand Prix Could Be Final Formula 1 Race for Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo has not ruled out the possibility that this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix could be his last in Formula 1, as RB prepares to make a decision about his future.

RB—the second team owned by Red Bull—has already confirmed Yuki Tsunoda for 2025, but Ricciardo faces competition from test and reserve driver Liam Lawson.

Lawson is widely expected to be promoted to a race seat for 2025, having caught the eye during his five-race stand-in during the 2023 season, when he subbed for an injured Ricciardo.

There has also been speculation that RB could promote Lawson to a race seat for the final six rounds of this year’s campaign, which means he could be in the seat following this week's race in Singapore.

“I can’t give too many details, [but] in terms of contracts, our dates pretty much come into this window now,” Ricciardo said ahead of this weekend’s night race at Marina Bay. “Basically I do expect a yes or a no for ’25. And then yeah, I know there’s obviously… I’m aware of some talk and speculation about the rest of the season. But that [situation] for me at the moment, I’m unaware of. The decision I expect is for next year.

“Obviously crazy things have happened in this sport. I’m also not going to stand here too boastful and confident and ‘oh yeah yeah’. Like, I believe I will be [here after Singapore], but let’s obviously see.”

When pressed on whether he believed Singapore could be his swan song Ricciardo replied: “I don’t think so, but I also don’t want to stand here and be the lawyer. Look, I would say no, but also we know how this sport works. People have not seen through a season before. It’s nothing new in some ways. So I don’t want to also be, ‘oh, 100%, I’ll bet all my house on it’. I’ve been around too long.”

The 35-year-old Ricciardo is undoubtedly in the twilight of his Formula 1 career, with the outgoing Australian having started over 250 Grands Prix and won eight times. He initially dropped off the grid after 2022, following the early conclusion to his underwhelming McLaren stint, but returned mid-2023 after being afforded an opportunity by RB—then named AlphaTauri—with the ambition of re-gaining a front-running seat.

That has not materialized; Ricciardo has scored only 12 points this year to Tsunoda’s 22 but, given the manner in which his McLaren stint ended, voiced his contentment about the situation.

“I definitely have fallen back in love with the sport, post-2022,” Ricciardo said. “Yeah, like I’ve enjoyed this season, even if I haven’t been stoked with every weekend that I’ve done. I’ve enjoyed going racing, I’ve enjoyed the competition again and driving.

“So from that point of view, I still have a lot of love for the sport, but I also have to remind myself, OK, why did I come back? It was to try and be at the front again. I enjoy it. But when you’re not in the points, for sure it’s less enjoyable.

“I’m also 35, I’ve been at the front, I’ve experienced the champagne. It’s like I don’t want to hang onto something that might not ever come to fruition again. I’ve certainly had those conversations in my head.”