‘No way back’ – Daniel Ricciardo is ‘finished’ verdict despite Sergio Perez uncertainty

Daniel Ricciardo has covered his final laps in a Formula 1 car with Craig Slater convinced he is “finishing as a driver” and will not be in line for a shock call-up to replace Sergio Perez.

VCARB announced on Thursday that Ricciardo had been dropped from his race seat and would be replaced by Liam Lawson from the very next race, the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

‘There is no way back’ for Daniel Ricciardo

Ricciardo spent the better part of his 14-year Formula 1 career with the Red Bull family, racing for the junior team, Toro Rosso as it was known back then, before stepping up to the senior team and winning seven Grands Prix.

After short stints at Renault and McLaren, with the Aussie dropped by McLaren two years into his three-year deal, he returned to the Red Bull fold with an eye on taking Sergio Perez’s race seat.

But after just over a year on the grid with VCARB, he’s once again out in the cold after the team opted to replace him with Lawson for the final six races of the season.

It has been suggested his story may not be over as PlanetF1.com understands Red Bull have left the door ajar if he wants to remain a part of the Red Bull Racing driver pool amidst the ever-constant rumours that Perez’s days at the senior team could be numbered.

However, Slater doesn’t see that happening.

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“Almost certainly this is the end of Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 career,” said the Sky reporter.

“It was a very emotional evening in Singapore last Sunday.

“I spoke to Ricciardo myself and he talked about how the fairytale he had hoped for had not come to a happy ending, as he put it, and there were a fair few tears in RB hospitality at the end of what is, as I understand it, the last race of his career.

“Although Red Bull are not saying anything officially, it is my understanding there is no way back for him.

“People might have seen speculation online that Ricciardo could still come in for Perez at the Red Bull senior team, maybe even just to finish the season in Abu Dhabi to have a final goodbye, but I understand that not to be a realistic prospect.

“He is finishing as a driver now, that’s my understanding.”

Daniel Ricciardo could take on a different Red Bull role

He could yet remain with Red Bull but in an off-track role with Slater saying there is the “potential” for “some kind of ambassadorial role.

“But he has spoken about not wishing to be a reserve driver now. That’s not going to happen is my understanding, nor is there the potential to join another team.”

Ricciardo made it clear in the build-up to the Singapore Grand Prix weekend that he would not take a reserve driver role if he lost his VCARB drive.

“No,” he said before touching on the fact he did that last season when first returning to Red Bull.

“It made a lot of sense to keep one foot in the door, with the big picture to try and get back in at Red Bull,” he explained. “I think if I was to do that again, there’s not really…

“I’m not going to restart my career. I’m also 35.”

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