F1 insider expects Daniel Ricciardo's departure to be announced on Tuesday

F1 insider and veteran photographer Kym Illman, recently speculated that Daniel Ricciardo's departure announcement could be made on Tuesday after the 2024 F1 Singapore GP.

After struggling in the first few races in 2024, rumors emerged that the Honey Badger could be replaced by reserve driver Liam Lawson if he does not push forward. These rumors were at their peak before F1's summer break in August. However, Red Bull stated that Ricciardo and Sergio Perez would continue in their respective seats in RB and Red Bull.

As the Singapore GP approached, many reports emerged once again that the race at Marina Bay could be Ricciardo's last. During the race, the Australian struggled and finished last in P19. After the race, he was given a round of applause by his team and hugs from many people in the paddock.

Though Red Bull and RB did not announce anything about Ricciardo's departure, the overall atmosphere in the paddock hinted that it could be his last race.

Speaking on his official Instagram page, photographer Kym Illman initially talked about how fans blamed Red Bull for not clarifying Ricciardo's situation.

"A lot of people saying Red Bull have done him dirty by not coming clean and, I guess, letting people know what the situation is well before this situation," Illman said.

He then talked about the imminent official announcement and predicted that Red Bull could release a statement about the Aussie on September 24, on a Tuesday.

"And it's going to be a sad day when the official announcement comes. And when is that announcement? A lot of us think that it will be early next week. My money is on Tuesday. Definitely, we will be saying goodbye to Daniel, he's saying goodbye to everybody here," he added.

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Daniel Ricciardo expresses his emotions potentially after his last F1 race at Singapore

Daniel Ricciardo recently expressed what he was feeling after ending the Singapore GP, which could be his last race in F1.

Speaking to F1.com, he explained how he felt a mixture of emotions and exhaustion, particularly because of how demanding the Singapore GP was. He added how he sat in the cockpit for some time to savor the moment if it was his last time.

“A lot of emotions, because – look I’m aware it could be it, and I think it’s also just [being] exhausted after the race. So it’s like a flood of many emotions and feelings and exhaustion. The cockpit is something that I got very used to for many years. I just wanted to savour the moment,” Ricciardo said.

As of now, Daniel Ricciardo is in 14th place in the drivers' championship with only 12 points. His teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, is in 12th place with 22 points in his pocket.