For 13 years, Daniel Ricciardo graced the F1 grid with his iconic smile, contagious laughter and overall easy-going personality. Though his career ended sooner than expected, it was far from uneventful. 

Daniel Ricciardo’s career took off at Red Bull in 2014. He competed with the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen. Up until 2018, Ricciardo was in his prime. However, following numerous mechanical issues and building tensions with teammate Max Verstappen, Ricciardo announced his departure from the team in August 2018. Ricciardo then made way to Renault (now Alpine) in 2019 and competed there through 2020 alongside Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg. Ricciardo’s first season on the team was disappointing, facing numerous mechanical and strategy issues that left him on the back foot for most races. 

In 2020, Ricciardo held a competitive edge that inevitably made him the favorable driver on the team. Despite this, Ricciardo left Renault for McLaren in 2021, replacing Carlos Sainz as he moved to Ferrari. Although the motivation behind Ricciardo’s decision is still unclear, the move marked the beginning of a downward spiral for the Australian. Throughout his time on the team, Ricciardo was never truly comfortable with the car. He was consistently outperformed by teammate Lando Norris, who was only in his third year on the team. After two agonizing seasons, McLaren and Ricciardo mutually agreed to terminate Ricciardo’s contract a year early.

Ricciardo had exhausted all of his options by the time he left McLaren. With no full-time seats available on the grid, Ricciardo rejoined Red Bull as a reserve driver for the 2023 season. That same year, however, Ricciardo found himself racing full-time in AlphaTauri (now Visa Cash App RB) after the team released Nyck de Vries. Ricciardo raced for the team alongside Yuki Tsunoda, up until the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Leading up to his departure, Ricciardo lacked pace and often found himself squabbling for positions at the back of the midfield. Ultimately, Daniel Ricciardo’s career saw a devastating end—a driver with tremendous potential and a ruthless prime, haunted by what could have been.