Daniel Ricciardo ‘deserves better’ F1 send-off than Singapore GP

Nico Rosberg believes Daniel Ricciardo deserves a “better” F1 send-off than the Singapore Grand Prix.

The 35-year-old Australian finished 18th and set the fastest lap in Singapore, which might be his final F1 race in a career that dates back to 2011.

Ricciardo will be replaced at Red Bull’s RB team by reserve driver Liam Lawson in time for the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

RB team principal Laurent Mekies admitted they gave Ricciardo a chance to “go out with the fastest lap” given Singapore “may have been Daniel’s last race”.

Ricciardo also received a guard of honour by RB team staff after the race but there has been no formal confirmation that Singapore will indeed be his farewell from F1.

“He deserves a really nice send off if it was his last weekend,” 2016 world champion Rosberg said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“This kind of like we don’t actually know what’s going on. We don’t even know if it’s going to happen so that’s not a nice situation. He deserves better than that.”

Rosberg famously retired from F1 just days after beating Lewis Hamilton to his maiden world championship title in 2016.

The German, who was only 31 when he walked away from the sport, explained he wanted his destiny to be in his own hands and was keen to avoid experiencing a potential period of decline.

“That would have been definitely part of my decision, yes, because I would have really wanted to avoid dropping further down the order until one day I get fired,” he added.

“Which as you’re getting older and as things progress, one day, the time will come where the younger generation is knocking on the door and you’ll be replaced.

“So that’s definitely something that I would have wanted to avoid. Of course, I still would have had time, probably because I was still young, but in any case, for me, it was important to have it in my own hands.

“Look at that Daniel, now that’s not really a worthy ending. Sebastian Vettel, also the way his career ended, I think also is just not really worthy. And that last moment is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

“It is powerful and important for me to get it right and in hindsight, I know it sucked at the time for many people because everybody was enjoying the battle with Lewis [Hamilton], but also, I mean, for myself and my family, it was the right decision.”