David Coulthard’s brutally honest verdict on Daniel Ricciardo’s decline

Daniel Ricciardo would likely have been replaced in 2025 if he avoided the early F1 axe, David Coulthard insists.

Red Bull are set to replace Ricciardo with Liam Lawson in their sister team, RB, from the next grand prix in Texas.

It means his 13-year tenure in Formula 1 has likely come to an abrupt end.

“It hasn’t been a stellar comeback for him,” fellow former Red Bull driver Coulthard said on Channel 4.

“This isn’t a show of friends. It’s about the stopwatch and the chequered flag.

“It does just feel that, even if he did go until the end of the year, then there would be a change next year.”

Ricciardo initially lost his F1 seat at the end of 2022 when McLaren ditched him, in favour of Oscar Piastri.

He returned midway through 2023 at AlphaTauri in place of the under-performing Nyck de Vries.

Ricciardo’s progress was dented by a hand injury, when Lawson impressively deputised. But Red Bull kept Ricciardo in their rebranded RB squad this year.

Ricciardo even hoped some good results would lead to a promotion to the main team next to Max Verstappen, a position he once held. It never happened.

'Consolation' of fastest lap

Instead Ricciardo emotionally left the F1 paddock in Singapore after scoring the fastest lap bonus point.

“He served a purpose. He was outside of the points,” Coulthard said.

“If that was his last lap in anger of a grand prix car, a set of softs and low fuel, then the honour of the fastest lap has got to be some consolation.”

Ricciardo was reduced to tears after the Singapore Grand Prix when admitting his time was likely done.

“It has been a really tough watch, the whole weekend,” said reporter Lawrence Barretto whose interview made Ricciardo emotional.

“He came in with mounting speculation over his future.

“He had a great Friday and everyone thought it would shape up to be a great weekend.

“He had a difficult qualifying and [in the race]... I know he got the fastest point. But he was so sad, at the end.

“I didn’t mean to make him cry. It gets into the emotion of it all.”