F1 drivers Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and others react to Daniel Ricciardo’s exit from the sport

After Daniel Ricciardo officially announced that he was leaving the RB team and F1, drivers like Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and more reacted to it. They wholeheartedly bid farewell to the Honey Badger and praised him.

Before the Singapore GP, several rumors emerged that the upcoming race could be Ricciardo's last as Red Bull were planning to replace him with their reserve driver, Liam Lawson. After the race, Ricciardo was applauded by his team as he hugged several drivers and paddock members, which hinted he could soon be removed from RB.

On 26 September, RB officially announced that Ricciardo was leaving the team. He also posted a heartfelt message on his own social media handles where he thanked everyone he has worked with.

Since Ricciardo has had a good relationship with most drivers on the grid, many flocked to his post to bid him farewell. Drivers like Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri, and more reacted to the eight-time race winner's departure.

"Head up mate! Many more beautiful moments to come," Verstappen typed.

"Legend," Hamilton hailed.

"New adventures to come champ," Alonso wrote.

"Congrats on everything you achieved DR" Piastri added.

"Going to miss you mate," expressed Russell.

Daniel Ricciardo isn't a part of Racing Bulls with immediate effect and is replaced by Red Bull's reserve driver Liam Lawson. Lawson would now race for RB in the last seven races of the 2024 F1 season. As of now, however, the team has not confirmed him for 2025.

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"I've loved this sport my whole life": Daniel Ricciardo's farewell message

Daniel Ricciardo wrote an emotional message after RB announced his leaving the team and F1. On his official social media handles, he posted a picture of him walking away in RB race suit.

In the message, he expressed how he has loved F1 his entire life. He thanked everyone he worked with and also hailed the passion of his fans running higher than his love for the sport. He then concluded that he would never want to change how his career panned out and said he patiently waited for the next chapter in his life.

"I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey. To the teams and individuals that have played their part, thank you. To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than me haha thank you. It’ll always have its highs and lows but it’s been fun and truth be told I wouldn’t change it. Until the next adventure," Ricciardo wrote.

In his entire F1 career, Daniel Ricciardo was part of 258 races, won eight, bagged three pole positions, and scored a total of 1329 points.