Daniel Ricciardo has been reassured that new opportunities will emerge despite being pushed out of the Formula 1 grid.
Ricciardo has lost his RB seat and will be substituted by Liam Lawson for the rest of the F1 season.
Without a contract for 2025, it appears that the Australian veteran’s F1 career has come to an end.
“He is not performing up to his potential,” former Haas boss Guenther Steiner remarked on the Red Flags podcast.
“In Singapore, he failed to make it out of Q1 while Yuki Tsunoda managed to reach Q3 in the same car.
“I don’t think he would be personally harmed if he decided to leave.
“He’s 35. He has other options, even in the world of motor racing. He’s a cool guy.
“He has accomplished a lot and should be proud. He doesn’t need to feel defeated. Move forward with your life, Danny.
“He has earned good money. Retreat to the ranch in Western Australia. Relax there for a while. He doesn’t need to worry.
“Something new will come. When one door closes…”
Ricciardo has not yet revealed his next move after losing his F1 race seat.
There is reportedly a chance for him to remain part of the Red Bull driver lineup.
Whether he might consider other motorsport series remains uncertain.
Steiner has pointed out that Ricciardo’s recent struggles at McLaren and RB followed a successful period that established him as a top driver.
“He was a talented racer, he won races,” Steiner stated.
“He was competing with Max and opted to move on. It worked for some time.”
Speaking about Ricciardo alongside Lando Norris at McLaren, Steiner remarked: “Having a teammate who outperforms him…
“Like Nico Hulkenberg, when he was paired with Danny at Renault, he nearly ended his career. Danny almost ended Hulkenberg’s career.
“But now look at Hulkenberg, he is surpassing Danny.
“This sport is very competitive. The pressure that got to Danny is that everyone was scrutinizing his performance.
“Perhaps he wasn’t prepared for that.”
