Peter Bayer, CEO of Red Bull Racing Motor Group, has unveiled an incredible behind-the-scenes story about Ricciardo’s final F1 Grand Prix in Singapore
Some time has passed since the remarkable joint announcement by Visa Cash App Racing Bulls and Red Bull, thanking Daniel Ricciardo for his journey in F1. The Australian and the Faenza-based team parted ways abruptly during the 2024 season — a move that, while somewhat expected, many deemed deeply unfair. This sentiment was particularly strong when comparing Ricciardo’s performance to Sergio Perez’s troubling stats with the RB20. Despite numerous errors over the past two seasons and constant criticism from the ever-outspoken Helmut Marko, the Mexican driver continues to hold onto his seat at Milton Keynes.
After 12 long years, the “Honey Badger’s” journey in Formula 1 came to an end. The announcement, made during the Singapore Grand Prix, sparked immense gratitude from both the paddock and fans. It marked the beginning of an era for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, with Liam Lawson officially promoted to F1. This decision, described as the “hardest choice” by Laurent Mekies, the team principal of the Faenza-based team, was made under pressure from Horner and Red Bull’s higher management.
Liam Lawson, who has often gone wheel-to-wheel with Sergio Perez — his current major rival for the 2025 Red Bull seat — has demonstrated grit and skill. However, his performance may not yet suffice to displace Perez, who remains a valuable asset for Milton Keynes due to his lucrative sponsorship deals.
Bayer’s Revelation on Ricciardo: Singapore as the last hope
In an interview with the esteemed German publication Auto und Motor Sport, Peter Bayer shared an intriguing anecdote about Ricciardo’s final race in Singapore. “We decided not to tell Daniel anything, to protect him, and he was fine with that. He believed that in Singapore he could deliver a strong qualifying session and show us what he was capable of“.
Bayer continued: “I’ve never seen such mental resilience in an athlete. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in Q1, and that Saturday was devastating. You could hear over the radio that his world had crumbled. We sat down with him in the office and told him another driver would take over in Austin.”.The Red Bull seat, the only one still up for grabs despite indications favoring Perez’s retention, has recently seen a new contender, according to Yuki Tsunoda‘s recent words, emerge in the form of Franco Colapinto.
Il nipponico si è detto “non stupito” in caso di salita di Franco, pilota al momento appiedato da Williams dopo l’ingaggio di Sainz e la conferma di Alex Albon. E’ noto a tutti che Helmut Marko sia un grandissimo stimatore dell’argentino, soprattutto se poi si ricorda la frecciata a Mattia Binotto nel non considerare nel cast di piloti proprio Franco, prediligendo Valtteri Bottas o Nico Hulkenberg. Staremo a vedere, poiché in casa Red Bull siamo abituati a colpi di scena imprevedibili. Imprevedibile come la bocciatura data a Ricciardo, ancora forse difficile da comprendere per molti.
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