AUSTIN, TEXAS — RB boss Laurent Mekies has said that the team could have handled Daniel Ricciardo’s exit from Formula 1 better.
Ricciardo will be absent from the grid at the U.S. Grand Prix this weekend after his F1 career finished with emotional TV interviews at the Singapore Grand Prix three weeks ago.
His imminent departure had not been confirmed by the team but was heavily speculated and Liam Lawson was confirmed as his replacement the following week.
Asked about the Ricciardo situation, RB boss Mekies said: “Yes it was frustrating, and yes it was not ideal to go through the weekend in that way,” Mekies said. “That is first of all for him, on a professional and on a personal matter, and for the whole team around him.”
However, Mekies also made it clear that Ricciardo wasn’t left in the dark about the situation.
“Daniel was aware,” Mekies said. “We did have discussions before the weekend. For many different reasons, we chose together to go into that weekend without announcing. And from that point onwards, we had to deal with it.
“It’s a decision that, in hindsight, we may or may not do differently. But it’s something that we were, both the team and the drivers, on board to go through that now.”
“I think in one way or another, we all found a way to express how much love there is from the sport to Daniel, from the fans to Daniel.
“I don’t know if it would have been better or worse [to announce in Singapore], certainly different, more traditional, but I can hopefully say that the amount of love and empathy we felt through that weekend was something outstanding and something that shows that he’s bigger than an F1 driver, he’s bigger than F1.”