The 10 defining moments of Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career

Formula 1 said goodbye to Daniel Ricciardo at last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, as it became increasingly clear that the RB driver was set to be replaced by Liam Lawson.

That news was officially confirmed on 26 September, meaning Lawson will partner Yuki Tsunoda for the final six rounds of the 2024 season, leaving the future of the eight-time grand prix winner unclear.

There are just two spots left on the 2025 grid and, with one seat being the Red Bull one currently held by Sergio Perez, his only chance of staying in F1 is via a shock move to Sauber.

It’s therefore likely to be the end of Ricciardo’s F1 career, which began in 2011 and has twice seen the 35-year-old finish third in the championship – his best result.

So what are the 10 career-defining moments for Ricciardo in F1?

Red Bull sends Ricciardo to the HRT F1 Team on loan

Ricciardo became a Red Bull junior driver when he was 18 years old having just finished sixth in the 2007 Formula Renault Italia standings. This meant Red Bull supported his career from that moment onwards and in 2010 he became its test and reserve driver, a role he also held for sister team Toro Rosso which is now RB.

The Australian continued to impress and in June 2011 Ricciardo was finally offered the opportunity to become an F1 driver. But it wasn’t with either of the Red Bull-owned squads, because the operation had paid the struggling Hispania Racing Team to take Ricciardo on loan for the final 11 rounds of the season.

Ricciardo did well despite a poor car, as over time he gradually became quicker than veteran team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi – out-qualifying him for grands prix like Italy, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. It was a vital learning experience and at the end of the year, Ricciardo was announced as a Toro Rosso driver for 2012, where he spent two seasons before a promotion to Red Bull.

Ricciardo claims maiden victory during debut season at Red Bull

Ricciardo moved to reigning world champions Red Bull for 2014 after fellow Aussie Mark Webber called time on his 12-year F1 career. Although Red Bull had just won the previous four titles, Ricciardo wasn’t exactly thrown into an easy situation because he was up against the reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel in the first year of turbo-hybrid racing.

But Ricciardo thrived and quickly asserted himself as the faster driver, in which his impressive start…