Few Formula 1 exits have left fans split the way Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from RB did. The Australian nicknamed the Honey Badger turned his last Singapore weekend into a fast-lap farewell, and days later the team confirmed his seat would go to Liam Lawson.
F1 career: 2011–2024 · Grand Prix wins: 8 · Nickname: The Honey Badger · Last F1 team: RB (2024) · F1 record: Most experienced Australian F1 driver
Quick snapshot
- Ricciardo competed in Formula 1 from 2011 to 2024 (Honda Global’s F1 profile).
- He won eight Grands Prix across his career (Wikipedia’s career profile).
- RB replaced him with Liam Lawson after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix (Formula1.com’s report).
- Whether Ricciardo has formally retired from F1.
- Whether he will race in another series in 2025 or beyond.
- Exact terms of his current brand and ambassador contracts.
- 2014: joined Red Bull and took his first F1 wins (Wikipedia’s career profile).
- 2023: returned to the Red Bull program as a reserve driver (Formula1.com’s report).
- 2024: drove for RB until his exit after Singapore. (Wikipedia’s career profile)
- No 2025 F1 race seat has been announced. (Wikipedia’s career profile)
- His public profile has shifted toward brand and ambassador work (Wikipedia’s career profile).
- A comeback would require an open seat and a team offer. (Wikipedia’s career profile)
Eight career details, one pattern: Ricciardo’s identity was always bigger than his results file.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 July 1989 |
| Country | Australia |
| F1 seasons | 2011–2024 |
| Grand Prix wins | 8 |
| Teams | HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, AlphaTauri/RB |
| Nickname | The Honey Badger |
| Celebration | Shoey |
| Last F1 team | RB (2024) |
The biographical details above are drawn from Honda Global’s F1 profile and Wikipedia’s career page.
What has happened to Daniel Ricciardo?
Ricciardo’s final full F1 season was 2024, spent at RB, the team formerly known as AlphaTauri (Honda Global’s F1 profile). The season ended not with a formal retirement speech but with a seat change.
The 2024 season at RB
- He finished 17th in the drivers’ championship with 12 points (Formula1.com’s 2024 results page).
- He scored no podiums or victories; his best race finish was eighth (24racing.com’s stats page).
- Team-mate Yuki Tsunoda recorded seven top-ten Grand Prix finishes in 2024, compared with Ricciardo’s three (Formula1.com’s report).
The implication: Ricciardo wasn’t just unlucky in 2024. On raw pacing, RB had a faster option in its own garage.
Replaced after Singapore
Ricciardo finished 18th at Singapore and set the fastest lap on the penultimate lap after a late pit stop (Wikipedia’s race recap). Four days later, RB confirmed his departure.
RB announced Liam Lawson would take the seat from the United States Grand Prix onward (Formula1.com’s report).
Life after the grid
- No F1 team announced Ricciardo as a race driver for 2025.
- His public presence now leans on brand, training and ambassador work.
- He remains one of the most recognisable Australian athletes in motorsport.
Why this matters: Ricciardo’s current status is a market outcome, not a goodbye statement.
Why has Daniel Ricciardo left F1?
The short version: the driver market closed its doors. Ricciardo left McLaren after the 2022 season and did not race full-time in the first half of 2023 (Formula1.com’s report).
2023: Red Bull reserve return
- He initially returned to Red Bull as a reserve driver (Formula1.com’s report).
- He was promoted to AlphaTauri in 2023 after Nyck de Vries was dropped.
- A broken hand in a practice crash at Zandvoort interrupted his comeback.
The pattern: Ricciardo’s return was always tied to an open seat. When the seat closed, so did his route back.
RB’s 2024 driver choice
- Liam Lawson substituted for Ricciardo for five Grands Prix during his 2023 injury absence (Formula1.com’s report).
- RB chose Lawson as the 2025-bound option after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
The trade-off: RB bet on younger driver data over Ricciardo’s experience and marketing value.
No 2025 seat
- Ricciardo was not listed on any 2025 F1 entry list or team announcement.
- His status is now described as a former F1 driver who competed from 2011 to 2024.
What this means: leaving F1 was less about one poor season and more about the absence of an available seat.
Is Daniel Ricciardo retiring from F1?
Retirement is not the same as being off the grid. Ricciardo has not made a formal retirement declaration, even though his 2024 driver profile now reads as a former competitor.
Retirement vs. no seat
No formal retirement announcement exists in the public record. Ricciardo is without a 2025 seat, which is a factual outcome rather than a personal verdict.
Ricciardo’s public statements
- After Singapore, he said the race might have been his last (Wikipedia’s race recap).
- Formula1.com characterised his career as “coming to an end” and reported that he was grateful.
What “former F1 driver” means now
- Being called a former F1 driver in 2024 records is a factual description.
- It does not confirm whether he will return to racing in another category.
The distinction matters to fans asking whether the Honey Badger is gone for good.
Is Daniel Ricciardo coming back to racing?
No comeback drive was confirmed for the 2025 F1 season. That leaves room for hypothetical returns, but also for a permanent move into ambassadorial work.
F1 comeback possibilities
A return would require an open seat and a team offer. Right now, the 2025 grid has no Daniel Ricciardo slot.
Other racing roles
- Ricciardo has appeared in brand campaigns, training content and automotive tie-ins.
- He has not announced a full-time programme in another series.
Brand and ambassador work
- His largest public footprint is now off-track, not in a race car.
- That footprint keeps the door open for a future return without requiring one.
The upshot: fans hoping for a comeback are really hoping for an open seat, not a decision from Ricciardo alone.
Are Verstappen and Ricciardo still friends?
Yes, on every public signal available. Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were Red Bull teammates from 2016 to 2018, and the relationship outlived the partnership (Wikipedia’s career profile).
Red Bull teammates from 2016 to 2018
- They raced together at Red Bull for three seasons.
- Their teammate battle became one of the defining Red Bull storylines of that era.
Friendship after Red Bull
- Both drivers have continued to speak positively about each other since the split.
- No public falling-out has been reported.
Public signals today
- Ricciardo returned to the Red Bull program as a reserve in 2023, which kept him inside the Verstappen orbit.
- Their public interactions remain friendly and relaxed.
Why this matters: the Verstappen friendship is a rare part of Ricciardo’s late career that never closed.
Daniel Ricciardo career timeline
One timeline, one through-line: every move followed a seat opening or closing.
- 1 July 1989 — born in Perth, Western Australia.
- 2011 — made his Formula 1 debut.
- 2014 — joined Red Bull Racing and took his first F1 wins.
- 2018 — moved to Renault after five seasons with Red Bull.
- 2021 — moved to McLaren and won the Italian Grand Prix.
- 2023 — returned to the Red Bull program as a reserve, later replacing Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.
- 2024 — drove for RB until being replaced by Liam Lawson after the Singapore Grand Prix.
- 2025 — no F1 race seat; involved in brand and ambassador work.
Timeline details compiled from Honda Global’s F1 profile, Wikipedia’s career page and Formula1.com’s report.
Confirmed facts vs. lingering questions
Confirmed facts
- Ricciardo competed in F1 from 2011 to 2024.
- He won eight Grands Prix.
- He was born on 1 July 1989 in Australia.
- RB replaced him with Liam Lawson after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
- He does not have a 2025 F1 race seat.
What’s unclear
- Whether he has formally retired from F1.
- Whether he will return to racing in another series.
- Exact details of his current brand ambassador contracts.
What Ricciardo and the paddock said
“Ricciardo said after Singapore that the race might have been his last.”
— Wikipedia’s race recap
“Ricciardo opens up on F1 career coming to an end as he reveals he’s grateful.”
— Formula1.com’s report
“Ricciardo scored no podiums or victories in 2024, and his best race finish was eighth.”
The takeaway
Ricciardo’s F1 story is a reminder that racing careers are built on open seats as much as on talent. For the Australian fans who carried his shoey celebrations into the global mainstream, the hope is clear: if a door opens again, the Honey Badger would still know how to walk through it. RB made its choice, backing its young-driver pipeline over the marketing value of a fan favourite.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Daniel Ricciardo called the Honey Badger?
The nickname reflects his aggressive but cheerful racing style. It is documented across his career profiles on Wikipedia’s career page.
What is the shoey in Formula 1?
A shoey is the act of drinking from a race boot after a result, a celebration Ricciardo made famous in F1.
Did Daniel Ricciardo win a Grand Prix with McLaren?
Yes. Ricciardo won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix with McLaren.
Is Daniel Ricciardo the most experienced Australian F1 driver?
He is widely described as the most experienced Australian F1 driver based on his career span and race count.
What was Daniel Ricciardo’s last F1 race?
His last F1 race was the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, where he finished 18th.
Who replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB?
Liam Lawson replaced Ricciardo at RB from the 2024 United States Grand Prix onward.
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Oliver Jack Carter Cooper is a staff writer for EveningLedger.uk, covering UK news, politics, business and culture. He works under Editor-in-Chief Edward Langley and Managing Editor Charlotte Reeves, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.