Daniel Ricciardo gets a guard of honor from VCARB as rumors of his exit get stronger

Visa Cash App RB F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was given a guard of honor in the team's hospitality area at the end of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Strong rumors swirled throughout the weekend that the Singapore GP on Sunday might have been the Aussie's last F1 race.

The Italian team is poised to replace the eight-time race winner with Liam Lawson for the remaining six races of the season from Austin onwards. The Red Bull sister team had provided an opportunity for Ricciardo to make his way back to the front of the field after returning to the sport in Hungary in 2023, but that never materialized.

After finishing P18 and taking the fastest lap on the penultimate lap, Ricciardo was welcomed into the RB hospitality with a guard of honor from the people inside, in a video floating on social media. The 35-year-old went on to hug almost everyone and was appreciative of the gesture.

Speaking with F1, Daniel Ricciardo analyzed his race and claimed that it was a 'tough race' for him as he started on the soft tires from P16 in an attempt to get a good start, saying:

“A tough race. Any time you’re out in Q1, you know you’ve got potentially a long day. I had to try something with strategy, and you never know here with the Safety Car, it could work in your favor.

"Obviously, there wasn’t a Safety Car today, so yeah, obviously our strategy then came a little undone, but I think ultimately we just weren’t quick enough. At the end we were there, not really in any position, so we tried to go for the fastest lap and I guess it helped maybe Max (Verstappen) out by Abu Dhabi," Daniel Ricciardo added.

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Daniel Ricciardo questions his motivation after the Singapore GP

VCARB F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo said he questioned his motive for staying in the sport as he has been fighting for P10 for the majority of the year.

The Aussie said (via F1):

“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."

Ricciardo has scored 12 points in 18 races and three sprints in the 2024 season but has been outperformed by his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. However, neither the team nor the driver has confirmed that he will not race this year from Austin onwards.