Tearful Ricciardo was “aware it could be it” at end of likely final F1 race · RaceFans

Daniel Ricciardo admitted he felt emotional at the end of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix, as he is widely expected to be replaced before the next race.

The RB driver waited before climbing out of the cockpit of his car after finishing today’s race in last place.

He gambled on starting on soft tyres after qualifying a lowly 16th, hoping a Safety Car appearance early in the race might help him. However the race ran without interruption and Ricciardo was told to let his team mate Yuki Tsunoda past him at one stage.

“It was a tough race,” a tearful Ricciardo told the official F1 channel. “I think obviously any time you’re out in Q1 you know you have potentially a long day and had to try something with strategy.

“You never know here, with a Safety Car, it could work in your favour. Obviously there wasn’t a Safety Car today so obviously our strategy then came a little undone.”

His team mate Yuki Tsunoda fell four places to finish in 12th. Ricciardo doubts they had the potential to score points in Singapore.

“I think ultimately we just weren’t quite quick enough,” he said. “I don’t know the full picture of Yuki’s race, but I saw he also finished out of the points so perhaps we just didn’t have the overall pace in the race stints.”

Amid speculation Liam Lawson will replace him at RB in time for the United States Grand Prix next month, Ricciardo said he spent a while in his car’s cockpit after the race to savour the moment.

“There’s a lot of emotions because I’m aware it could be it,” he said. “I think it’s also just exhausted after the race. Just like a flood of many emotions and feelings and exhaustion and 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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