Ricciardo jokes about an 'extra bonus' from Red Bull after fastest lap
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There were still a lot of jokes and smiles from Daniel Riccardo in what was likely his final Grand Prix in his F1 career. The Visa Cash App RB driver came in with just a couple of laps to put on some soft tyres, allowing him to go for the fastest lap, with the Australian joking that there is some 'extra bonus' from Red Bull after taking a point away from Lando Norris in the process.
With Norris competing with Max Verstappen in what is turning out to be a competitive battle for the drivers' champion, every point counts, and Red Bull used Riccirdo to steal that point away from McLaren on, potential, his final race in the premier class of motorsport.
Riccardo's F1 career looks like it is coming to an end as VCARB looks set to replace him with Liam Lawson for the final six races of the 2024 season. A contractual agreement between Red Bull and Lawson is rumoured to be the reason for the replacement, with the New Zealander able to walk away from the Austrian team if he is not promoted to F1.
Ricciardo on bonus: 'I heard something like that yes'
However, despite all the rumours and predictions that it will be the end of a great career for Ricciardo, the Australian was still smiling and joking in the press conference, expecting something special from Red Bull after earning that fastest lap: "I obviously wish we were fighting for a little more in the race but, yeah I heard something about a 3.5 million dollar bonus for fastest lap or something, Red Bull was throwing some crazy number around!"
"I'm proud of the career [I’ve had]. Obviously, I tried to become a world champion, I tried to become the best at something in the world. I think it is a tall task that we ask from ourselves, and obviously, some achieve it, and some don't so. In the end, if I came up a little short, I also can't be too hard on myself. I'm happy with the effort I put in, and I think for that, there's no sadness or feeling of regret or what could have been. I think I put my best foot forward," concluded Ricciardo.
This article was written in collaboration with Jeroen Immink