Former Red Bull driver shares surprising rumor about Daniel Ricciardo's firing at Singapore

Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard opened up about a rumor that Daniel Ricciardo could have already known about his departure after Singapore, long before the race weekend.

Before the Singapore GP, there were speculations that Ricciardo might be dropped from RB after the race and replaced by Liam Lawson, the team's reserve driver. After the race at Marina Bay, Ricciardo hugged some drivers and paddock personnel and was clapped by his teammates, indicating his departure from the Red Bull family and F1.

On 26 September, Ricciardo's departure from the Red Bull umbrella was formally announced. He posted a heartfelt letter on his social media platforms following the announcement, thanking everyone he has worked with in F1.

Speaking on his podcast, Formula For Success, Coulthard talked about the rumor that Ricciardo already knew that he would leave the sport and Red Bull after the Singapore GP. The Former Red Bull driver also claimed that the Australian had a chance to reveal his departure but chose to keep it under wraps till the end.

"I think one thing that's interesting and [it's a] rumor rather than I've seen it with my own eyes, was that he actually knew from a few races back that it would be finishing in Singapore. And he had the opportunity obviously to make that public and he chose not to," Coulthard said.

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David Coulthard explores Daniel Ricciardo's quiet exit from F1

Former F1 driver David Coulthard also speculated what could have been the reason behind Daniel Ricciardo not announcing his departure earlier.

Speaking on his podcast, Coulthard speculated that Ricciardo must have had a personal reason not to announce his departure, or it could have been a way to attract more media attention to him, particularly if he arrived at the next Grand Prix in Austin.

"There's been a lot of reaction, negatively, about people going, 'Why was he not given that opportunity?' But I I've heard that he was given that opportunity and chose not to," Coulthard said.

"So I'm trying to kind of figure that out in my head whether that's some that's just a personal thing, didn't want to be distracted by that or whether that's some sort of media master stroke," he added.

As of now, Daniel Ricciardo has not announced anything about his future connection with F1 or Red Bull. The last official news was that he left RB and left the grid.