Former Visa Cash App RB F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo's girlfriend Heidi Berger paid an emotional tribute to the Aussie's career on her social media platform. The 35-year-old bowed out of the sport at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend as the Red Bull hierarchy decided to replace him with Liam Lawson for the remaining six races and three Sprints.
There was a lot of speculation surrounding Ricciardo's future in Singapore as the Austrian team had not confirmed anything. It became official on Thursday, 26 September that he would be replaced by the Kiwi.
Ricciardo's partner Heidi Berger, with whom he has been in a relationship since 2020, took to her Instagram Story to give a short but sweet tribute to the former. She reposted Ricciardo's post and wrote on her story:
"Deserves the world"
The 26-year-old actress is the daughter of former F1 driver Gerhard Berger and is often spotted in the paddock accompanying her boyfriend on race weekends.
Red Bull advisor gives his take on Daniel Ricciardo's future in F1
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko stated that he believed Daniel Ricciardo would not race in any other racing category despite moves linking him to NASCAR and IndyCar.
Speaking with Motorsport-Total, the Austrian spoke about potentially welcoming back the 'Honey Badger' into the Red Bull fold again and said:
“We have had a conversation and it is clear that we are interested. He is one of the most popular Formula 1 drivers, especially in the United States. But he wants time to consider his entire future. I don’t think he will enter any other racing category."
“And, on the other hand, if he is no longer actively racing, will he still want these PR activities at all? Ricciardo also has a lot of money in the bank and I would say it is a life decision for him to decide how he wants to shape his future life.”
However, Ricciardo has ruled out another run as the reserve driver like he did in 2023 and reflected, via Motorsportweek:
“Obviously last year it made a lot of sense to keep one foot in the door and the big picture was to try and get back at Red Bull. I think if I were to do that again… I’m not going to restart my career. I’m also 35 and I still showed the pace that I’ve had over the years, but it’s obviously been evident that it’s been harder for me to show it every weekend," he added.
The Aussie returned to the Faenza-based outfit in Hungary in 2023 to replace Nyck de Vries after he impressed Red Bull in his private test at Silverstone.