From Shoeys to Shambles: One Year Without Daniel Ricciardo

It's officially been a year since the day that broke hearts worldwide, one year since Daniel Ricciardo lined up on the F1 grid one last time. The man who turned podiums into parties with his shoeys and lit up the paddock with his megawatt smile has officially traded in his fireproofs for a life of retirement. While he's soft-launching his ambassador era, RedBull is well... falling apart at the seams.

End of an era

Daniel Ricciardo climbing into an F1 car for what would be the last time. Courtesy of Formula1.com

Daniel's final race in F1 felt like the end of a chapter. Whether you cheered for him or not, you did love him in some way. He made fifth-place finishes feel like wins, and turned press conferences into comedy clubs. Without him, the grid has felt... quiet.

But his exit wasn't clean. His stint at Racing Bulls/VCARB/AplhaTauri (whatever we're calling them this month) only lasted a few appearances, and the 2024 Singapore race was indeed the end of his F1 career. When he officially announced his retirement earlier this year, it broke the hearts of fans who swore up and down that he'd come back with Cadillac.

Meanwhile, in the House of RedBull

The (current) RedBull team celebrating Max's most recent win. Courtesy of Formula1.com

While Danny Ric is living his best life, RedBull has been turning itself into something of a soap opera.

• Christian Horner's Exit: The team principal who defined the team for ages was let go, and fans are still wondering if it was the lack of performance, or his questionable interpersonal actions that got him sacked.

• Racing Bulls in Freefall: A team having an identity crisis. Drivers being swapped like nothing matters to the point where HR was probably sweating.

• Max's Lonely Dominance: Verstappen keeps winning, but the other side of the garage may as well be invisible since it's all of Max's points that are keeping the team somewhere in the standings.

RedBull and its dynasty of only having one star driver is starting to look more like the plot of a new F1 movie rather than a real racing team. We really need some dramatic music to tie it all together.

Who gets the Seat Next to Max?

Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda celebrating their best result as a pair so far. Courtesy of Formula1.com

Here's the crazy thing: Daniel's been gone for a year, and so has Perez, but we still don't know who's going to be racing next to Max in 2026. Yuki Tsunoda has had flashes of brilliance, but the big guys at RedBull don't seem to see him as an option. Liam Lawson was already booted from the seat at the start of the season, and Isack Hadjar's barely done a year in the big leagues. So really, nothing's settled, and we're mere months from the end of the season.

The irony? RedBull could use someone like Ricciardo right now. A proven driver who could deliver points and keep the team in the media's good graces. Instead, RedBull's stuck keeping Max happy even though his crown might be taken from him in December.

Legacies and What-ifs

Daniel Ricciardo's retirement wasn't just the end of a career; it was the start of an alternate timeline. What if he had stayed? Could he have saved Racing Bulls? Would RedBull's 2026 lineup be such a mystery if he were still around?

We'll never know for sure, but one thing is clear. Ricciardo left the party, and the party turned itself on its head.

Edited by Ashley Holloman