DANIEL RICCIARDO choked up tearfully and struggled to speak after finishing last in the Singapore Grand Prix – as it could be his F1 swansong.
Red Bull are tipped to replace him next time out in the US on October 21.
The Aussie delayed getting out of his car following Sunday’s race – won by McLaren’s Lando Norris.
And afterwards Ricciardo explained his “flood of emotions” following his 13 years in F1, which included eight wins from 2011-2021.
Mixing long pauses with rueful smiles, Ricciardo pondered the fact he might never again race at this level.
He said: There s a lot of emotions because I m aware it could be it.
“I think it s also just exhaustion after the race.
“Just like a flood of many emotions and feelings and exhaustion.”
Ricciardo was equally emotional about the way he had lingered in his car after a disappointing performance at Marina Bay.
He added: “The cockpit is something that I got very, very used to for many years and I just wanted to savour the moment.
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Ricciardo’s gamble of starting on soft tyres – in the forlorn hope the safety car would be called out – backfired.
In fact, Red Bull even asked him to let team-mate Yuki Tsunoda pass.
The Japanese ace came 12th, with Ricciardo bottom of the 18 finishers.
The Perth driver said: It was a tough race. I think ultimately we just weren t quite quick enough.”
Overall, Tsunoda sits 12th on 22 points, with Ricciardo joint 13th on 12.
However, fans rushed to praise him – as a person and as a competitor.
One wrote: “I feel sad for Danny Ric. Lovely guy. I will miss him. The sport will miss him.”
Another posted: “Thank you Daniel for showing up every weekend with a smile on your face
A third added: “This is really really really emotional… guy was pure magic, hated to see him lose all of that, but man this sport reminds you so often that ‘it is what it is’.”
Other verdicts included “Amazing to watch” and “Deserves a proper farewell WTF”.
Meanwhile, Norris’ impressive victory further cut Max Verstappen‘s Championship lead to 52 points – with seven GPs remaining.
Inside track on Hamilton's life
LEWIS HAMILTON has driven his way into pole position as Formula One's most prolific winner.
The British speedster lives life in the fast lane both on and off the track, with a string of high-profile romances and jet-set lifestyle.
Hamilton made his name at McLaren and Mercedes but stunned the racing world by signing a £100million deal to join Ferrari for next season.
His exploits have seen him rub shoulders with Hollywood icon Brad Pitt but Lew snubbed the chance to feature in Top Gun 2.
And fans can follow his fortunes on the latest season of Netflix’s smash hit Drive To Survive.
Hamilton’s talent saw him go from humble origins in Stevenage to boasting an £11m car collection.
He joined celeb dating app Raya after splitting from Brazilian beauty Juliana Nalu.
And his exes are said to include Rita Ora, Rihanna and Nicole Scherzinger.
Hamilton was embroiled in a bitter feud with Nico Rosberg but the pair buried the hatchet to sport £35k watches they were given for FREE.
He also shared high-profile battles with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.
But his most shocking showdown saw Max Verstappen handed the World Championship over him by a controversial safety car decision.
The Brit is chasing a record eighth world title – the first of which came in 2008 and has seen Felipe Masa sue F1 for £62m after a crash saw him miss out.
Check out all our Lewis Hamilton articles here.
