VCARB Opens Up On Daniel Ricciardo's Unannounced Exit

Saajan Jogia | Oct 20, 2024

Jun 7, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; RB driver driver Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) in the pit lane during the practice session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

VCARB (RB) CEO Peter Bayer has addressed the backlash surrounding Daniel Ricciardo's unannounced exit, which upset fans due to the absence of a proper farewell. Bayer confirmed that Ricciardo was informed several days before the Singapore Grand Prix that it would be his final race with the team, and it was Ricciardo's own choice not to announce his departure ahead of time.

Ricciardo's underperformance had been a major concern this season, especially since his teammate Yuki Tsunoda outperformed him on most race weekends. As a result, rumors of his ousting were circulating already, with many expecting the Australian's last race to be the one at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

VCARB and Red Bull faced criticism for how they handled Ricciardo's unannounced exit, with many viewing the lack of a proper farewell as disrespectful to the driver. However, Bayer clarified that all decisions were communicated to the 35-year-old well in advance and emphasized that the low-key departure was in line with Ricciardo's personal preference. Speaking to Sky Sports DE, as reported by Racingnews365, the CEO said:

"From my point of view, maybe I look at it more from the commercial, communication and marketing side.

"Then maybe you could have organised it differently. I also think the farewell would have been different if he had raced until the end of the season, for example. 

"But for us as a team, it's important to realise that we communicated very transparently and very, very openly and honestly with Daniel. We spoke to him again the Wednesday before the race [in Singapore] and he said, 'No, we'll keep the ball rolling'. 

"Then we spoke to him again Saturday to Sunday night at 02:00 in Singapore and then he said, 'No, I just want to drive the race. Those who are important to me know that'. And for the others you could have set off big fireworks, but that was not what we wanted."

VCARB team principal Laurent Mekies said that while it was frustrating for the team to not reveal anything about Ricciardo's exit during the Singapore GP weekend, it was a decision that the driver and team took collectively. He explained:

"I think the answer is yes, it was frustrating, and yes, you're right, it was not ideal to go through the weekend in that way, first of all for him, on a professional and on a personal matter, and for the whole team around him.

"Yes, Daniel was aware. We did have discussions before the weekend. For many different reasons, we chose together to go into that weekend without announcing. 

"And from that point onwards, we had to deal with it. It's a decision that, in hindsight, we may or may not do differently. But it's something that we were, both the team and the drivers, were on board to go through that now."

Bayer said that VCARB had received an update from Ricciardo ahead of the United States Grand Prix weekend, noting that he was happy and at ease with everything. He added:

"For us it was mainly the desire of the driver that was the deciding factor.

"As I said, it could have been different, but I think it was good for him. 

"And we talked to him on the phone the day before yesterday. He's happy, he's doing well. He's at peace with it. He's happy with the way things have gone."