Red Bull team principal Christian Horner posted a farewell note for Daniel Ricciardo on his social media platform on Thursday, September 26. However, many F1 fans felt that the Australian driver deserved a better farewell and send-off and expressed their frustration in the comments section of the post.
The Aussie's exit from the RB was not a surprise, as throughout the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend, it was hinted that it might be the end of his stint in the sport. While many people, including media outlets, gave their sendoff to the eight-time race winner, there was no official confirmation during the weekend.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner paid tribute to the 35-year-old's career and reflected on his journey with the Austrian team via his Instagram handle as he wrote:
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"From the moment you arrived at Red Bull, it was obvious you were so much more than just a driver. Your constant enthusiasm, sense of humor, and attitude will leave an indelible legacy on the Team here in Milton Keynes and F1 as a whole. Thank you for the wins, smiles, songs (and I wish I could say the shoeys), you will always be a special part of the Red Bull Family...Thank you, Daniel," Christian Horner wrote.
F1 fans took to the comments of Horner's post on Instagram to share their reactions to Daniel Ricciardo's send-off, with many expressing their anger on how it was all handled, saying:
"The HYPOCRISY of posting this when you didn’t give him a proper sendoff and announcement," a fan wrote.
"You know he deserved better," another fan claimed.
"He deserves better, you need to take a look at yourself and the way you run these teams. Sad," a user commented
"The way you slaughtered McLaren only to treat him worse… He deserved so much better!!!"a fan pointed out.
"Daniel should have gotten a proper goodbye. He deserved better," said another.
"The worst ‘send off’… RB did him dirty on that," claimed another.
Daniel Ricciardo signs off from F1 with an emotional post
Daniel Ricciardo said that he had enjoyed the 'wild' and 'wonderful' ride of F1 and claimed that he would not change any part of it. Reflecting on his experience and memories of a career that spanned over 13 years which included eight Grand Prix victories, Ricciardo wrote:
"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," he wrote.
Liam Lawson will replace Daniel Ricciardo for the remainder of the 2024 season. The Kiwi had initially deputized for him in five races last year when the Aussie broke his hand in Zandvoort.
