Ricciardo shares stunning admission about Racing Bulls axe that closed F1 career

Ricciardo originally found himself without a full-time seat for the 2023 Formula 1 season, but midway through the year, he replaced a struggling Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.

In 2024, after the team transformed into Racing Bulls, Ricciardo was let go following the Singapore Grand Prix. He was replaced by Lawson, who made a strong first impression when replacing the Australian Grand Prix winner during his stint on the sidelines due to an injury sustained in Zandvoort.

The Australian is now an ambassador for Ford Racing. In the Drive podcast with Jim Farley (CEO of Ford), he discussed the end to his F1 career.

"[McLaren] let me go [in 2022]. So then 2023, I started without a seat and I was like, 'Is this maybe it? Do I just call it now?' But I knew there was still some burning desire in me," Ricciardo said.

Before choosing to return, Ricciardo wanted to make sure he has that fire inside of him to continue, focusing only on himself.

After a test in Silverstone, it was announced that he would replace De Vries. "So I got back into the seat halfway through the season. I got a drive, second or third race in, I broke my hand, and it was such a nothing accident, but I missed however many races," he continued.

In the end, the Australian appreciates Red Bull making the call instead of himself.

"I lasted another year in F1, and then ultimately got let go. That was the reality at the time. But I think once that happened, I'd been let go twice in the last two years. It had also taken a lot out of me. I'd put a lot of my soul into it, and I did feel pretty exhausted by it. In reflection, I was grateful that they made the decision for me," he concluded from his experience.