Daniel Ricciardo never let go of his dream of remaining in Formula 1 until the very last moment, according to Red Bull CEO Peter Bayer.
Fans of the Australian driver were upset when it became clear that Red Bull withheld the news of Ricciardo's replacement by Liam Lawson after the Singapore GP, even though many believed the decision was obvious.
Bayer explained that it was Ricciardo himself who requested the delay in making the announcement.
"We had agreed with Daniel that we would not communicate it," Bayer told Auto Motor und Sport. "We knew that it would look a bit odd, but we also did it to protect our driver. It was his wish."
According to Bayer, Ricciardo remained optimistic that an extremely strong performance in Singapore might force Red Bull to reconsider their decision. There were even rumours that a race win or podium could have activated clauses in his contract to secure his seat.
"He believed until the very end that he would finish at the front in qualifying and show everyone what he could do," Bayer said. "I have never seen such mental strength in an athlete as this person has. And I have been in many sports."
Unfortunately for Ricciardo, Singapore did not go as hoped.
"It was a terrible moment when he was eliminated in Q1," Bayer said. "You could already hear on the radio that his world had collapsed.
"We then sat together in our office at two in the morning and asked him what we should do now. He told us we should just let him drive the race. He just didn't want any fuss."
Ricciardo, visibly emotional after the Singapore GP, chose to quietly bow out, with the team only confirming Lawson's seat days later. This approach led to criticism from fans, who felt Red Bull mishandled the situation.
"As a team, we stood up for him," Bayer said. "If Daniel had stayed until Abu Dhabi, of course, we would have celebrated his farewell with fireworks and photos on the grid, like what happened with (Kimi) Raikkonen. That's what everyone would have wanted."
Bayer also reminded critics that Red Bull had given Ricciardo a second chance in Formula 1 after his departure from McLaren at the end of 2022.
"We gave him another chance that nobody thought possible," Bayer added. "It was important for us that at the end of the day we could look in the mirror and say that we did the right thing for him—even if the whole world and his nine million Instagram fans were bashing us."
