Red Bull Racing CEO Bayer reveals Ricciardo chose to stay quiet about retirement, preferring to focus solely on racing.
Peter Bayer, CEO of Red Bull F1, revealed that the miscommunication surrounding Daniel Ricciardo’s final race was a decision made by the driver himself. The team had reportedly asked him multiple times if he wanted a public statement on the matter, but he consistently declined.
“From my perspective, I might have viewed it more from a commercial, communication, and marketing standpoint,” Bayer stated. “Perhaps things could have been handled differently. I also believe the farewell would have been different if he had raced until the end of the season, for instance.”
“But for us, as a team, it was crucial to ensure that we communicated in a very transparent, open, and honest manner with Daniel. We spoke to him again on the Wednesday before the Singapore Grand Prix, and he told us, ‘No, we’ll keep going.'”
“We then spoke to him again in the early hours of Sunday morning at 2 am in Singapore, and he said, ‘No, I just want to race. Those who matter to me already know.’ For everyone else, we could have put on a grand show, but that wasn’t what we wanted.”
Bayer emphasised that the team primarily sought to respect the wishes of the Australian driver, who had chosen not to make his impending retirement a focal point. “For us, the driver’s preference was the decisive factor,” Bayer explained.
“As I said, things could have been different, but I believe it was the right choice for him. We spoke to him on the phone the day before yesterday. He’s happy, he’s doing well. He’s at peace with it. He’s pleased with how everything played out.”
Bayer even hinted that Ricciardo might return to the F1 paddock before the season’s conclusion.
“We’ll see. Let’s be surprised! For now, he’s focusing on himself, his friends, his family, and he’s content and fulfilled. I also think it’s wonderful to see the reactions from the other drivers, acknowledging him as they have.”
“Daniel has contributed a great deal to shaping this sport into what it is today, and we celebrated him accordingly. But as I said, the Singapore story is what it is.”
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Bayer Confirms Ricciardo Declined Public Farewell at Red Bull Bayer Confirms Ricciardo Declined Public Farewell at Red Bull
