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Daniel Ricciardo insists he is “at peace” with the prospect of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix being his final race in F1 in emotional scenes after the race.
The 35-year-old Australian secured the fastest lap of the race at the end, stealing a point away from race winner Lando Norris, but finished back in 18th for RB.
Speculation is rife in the paddock that Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson is replacing Ricciardo for the final six races of the season, starting in Austin on 20 October.
And Ricciardo was in tears in the media pen after the 62-lap grand prix, after a career which has spanned 14 years and has seen him win eight races. The Australian was also given a guard of honour by RB team personnel outside their motorhome.
“I do feel, let’s say, at peace with it,” Ricciardo said. “At some point, it’ll come for all of us.
“I tried to get back into Red Bull, it didn’t work out, so then I also have to say, ‘Okay, what else am I ultimately doing here and trying to achieve?’… Let’s say maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I also have to look back on what it’s been.
“Fourteen or so years and I’m proud.
“I think when you’ve experienced the highs of winning, you can only fight for P10 for so long. There is nothing like that feeling, and if that no longer is possible, and if it is becoming a little harder – that’s the truth.
“I was able to do some moments of maybe greatness this year, but it was trickier to do it week in, week out.
“Maybe that’s [being] 35, maybe that’s the competition’s getting better and better. Who knows?”
Pressed further on whether Singapore would be his final F1 race, the popular Australian replied: “Possibly, I have to acknowledge that. It’s been a little bit of a race-by-race situation and I would have obviously loved the weekend to have gone better.
“It didn’t, so I have to prepared for this maybe being it.”
Ricciardo was axed by McLaren at the end of the 2022 season but was handed a second chance at Red Bull’s sister team midway through last year, replacing Nyck de Vries.
However, he has struggled for consistent performance and trails team-mate Yuki Tsunoda by 10 points in the championship standings.