F1 loses an icon with Ricciardo, who was more than just a smile

Daniel Ricciardo is going to be missed. In a world where authenticity is increasingly disappearing and PR people constantly try to spin storylines, the Australian was always himself. From personal experience, it can be said that an interview with Ricciardo was always interesting and genuine. Never was the eight-time GP winner just babbling, always thinking about his sensible answers.

Ricciardo was always Ricciardo

Moreover, after every session, he took all the time required. One example: the recording of Ricciardo's quotes after the Singapore Grand Prix lasted over eight minutes. Unprecedented, as most drivers are often pulled away from the writing media after a minute or two. He did not let others dictate what and how much he said. Ricciardo was Ricciardo. Always.

In that - what now appears to be - his last media session as an active Formula One driver, he didn't mince words. He knew what was hanging over his head. Although Ricciardo was emotional, he also remained realistic. He said he realised that his season was not the best of his career. Moreover, he knew that the F1 world is brutal especially at Red Bull. And that - at the time - it was probably going to end; he was somehow at peace with it.

Ricciardo was once one of the best

Ricciardo's name will be credited in the history book of Formula 1 in golden letters, even though he never won a world title. Remember, it was Ricciardo who beat Sebastian Vettel - four-time world champion - for a season. Then the German left for Ferrari. It was also Ricciardo who could rival a young Max Verstappen.

But instead of competing for prizes with the Dutchman for years at Red Bull Racing, he opted for an adventure with Renault. In hindsight, leaving Red Bull was a huge mistake, as in fact Ricciardo no longer consistently reached that top level he was at with the Austrian team. McLaren didn't decide to pay him not drive the car after the 2022 season for nothing. How painful must that be for a driver?

The years began to count

You don't notice when some drivers start to get old (Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, for example), but you do in others. Ricciardo belongs to the latter group. The experienced driver himself also noted that he had started to struggle to perform at the absolute top level every weekend. Perhaps, the Australian thought, the competition is tougher these days, with younger and younger drivers already having a huge amount of experience in realistic simulators before taking a step into Formula 1 at all.

Ricciardo's time in Formula 1 is over. We will undoubtedly see him in one role or another. He seems to be the perfect analyst. Either way, with pride and fond memories, Ricciardo can look back on a great career at the absolute top of motorsport.

This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton