Daniel Ricciardo left Formula 1 after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. The move followed his return to the Red Bull organization as reserve and a Racing Bulls junior seat. Red Bull and Racing Bulls reviewed his form and concluded his time in the sport was over.
Ricciardo rose through the ranks in a steady arc. He made his F1 debut in 2011. He joined Toro Rosso, now Racing Bulls, in 2012 and learned fast in the midfield. Red Bull promoted him in 2014. He won races and built a reputation as a sharp passer under braking and a calm racer under pressure.
The first big change came in 2018. Ricciardo left Red Bull amid tensions over Max Verstappen’s growing role in the team. He signed with Renault and worked to lift the project. The results were mixed and the podiums were rare. He moved again for 2021, this time to McLaren. He took a landmark win at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. The rest of that season and 2022 brought more struggle than momentum. The fit did not produce steady results, and the gap to his teammate grew.
He lost his full-time seat for 2023. Ricciardo returned to Red Bull as a reserve. He also stepped into a Racing Bulls junior seat for a part-season run. He started eight races. A hand injury at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix cut into that comeback and slowed his rhythm. He came back before the end of the year and aimed to reset for 2024.
Red Bull and Racing Bulls kept him on for 2024. The group still decided during the season that his F1 chapter had run its course. Ricciardo left the grid after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. It closed a long, nomadic career that took him from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, to Renault, to McLaren, and back into the Red Bull system.
Since retiring, Ricciardo has described how he reached peace with the decision. In a candid interview with Ford CEO Jim Farley, he spoke about knowing when to stop. He said there were moments when he felt he still had more to give. He also said that stepping away can protect confidence and health. He urged other drivers to be honest about form and to listen to the people around them. He framed his exit as a hard choice that can come to any racer, even one who has won at the top level.