[FC4]

What a legend. With his accomplishments and character, he left an immensely positive mark on F1 over the last 14 years.

Shame on Red Bull for the joke of a sendoff. What a trash organization at every level.

[dfox]

Originally Posted by FC4

Shame on Red Bull for the joke of a sendoff. What a trash organization at every level.

They did a lot for him, you've just gotta step back and see the bigger picture. He drove in 2023 and 2024 as his sendoff. His performance for the past 5 years did not deserve anything else, he was super lucky to have a seat.

Ric screwed RB back in 2019 when he left for Renault. Then he screwed Renault when he left for McLaren. RB gave him another 2 years in the car after all of the other teams said no thanks. You can't just go team hopping like that and not back it up with performance.

Adios Ric, hopefully he sticks around and becomes an announcer or something so we can still enjoy his character, but his current driving is pathetic. Time for another rookie to step in.

[jkoral]

Hard to feel sorry for him, he earned a ton of money at Renault and McLaren, but shortened his career with poor performance.

At least we were not subject to more of his "shoeys"...

[CMW33]

Originally Posted by FC4

What a legend. With his accomplishments and character, he left an immensely positive mark on F1 over the last 14 years.

Shame on Red Bull for the joke of a sendoff. What a trash organization at every level.

My hope is we see him in FIA World Enduro Championship. Would love to see him racing Hypercars. I feel pretty good that he can find another racing series if he wants.

[toxik]

im not gonna be happy until someone is drinking out of their shoe at the podium again

[RichardInCA]

Lousy way to let him go through - not even giving him a proper/official team send off at his last race. Still it’s the RB way I guess.

[TheBingoBalls]

Time has ended. Time should have ended after his stint with McLaren. It's too easy to pick and gamble on any F2 driver when you're comparing them to RIC performance. Other than being a favorite in the paddock because of personality, nothing RIC at his age did nothing to warrant him a seat over any junior driver in any of the teams driver programs.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by FC4

What a legend. With his accomplishments and character, he left an immensely positive mark on F1 over the last 14 years.

Shame on Red Bull for the joke of a sendoff. What a trash organization at every level.

he's being paid in a year what most people will earn in their lifetime, to drive a machine as fast as possible.

it could be seen as a shame that McLaren and RB kept him for so long, keeping younger drivers out of F1.

but if I were DR, I would stay and take the money of course.

because of how it played out I think he's had a while to plan his departure.

I wish him all the best.

[NickyC]

So Perez keeps his seat but DR gets the axe. Make it make sense.

[NervoS]

Originally Posted by NickyC

So Perez keeps his seat but DR gets the axe. Make it make sense.

According to rumors - not for much longer. There are rumors that he will resign "himself" after Mexican GP.

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by NickyC

So Perez keeps his seat but DR gets the axe. Make it make sense.

Simple - $$$.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by NervoS

According to rumors - not for much longer. There are rumors that he will resign "himself" after Mexican GP.

no chance. why would he do that?

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by G30M

no chance. why would he do that?

Self doubt and his dad's health.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by FC4

What a legend. With his accomplishments and character, he left an immensely positive mark on F1 over the last 14 years.

Shame on Red Bull for the joke of a sendoff. What a trash organization at every level.

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

Lousy way to let him go through - not even giving him a proper/official team send off at his last race. Still it’s the RB way I guess.

It's the F1 way. There are plenty of drivers that have gotten the axe mid-season without any fanfare. F1 is cut throat, you know that going into it. No one is there to make friends.

[CMW33]

Originally Posted by NickyC

So Perez keeps his seat but DR gets the axe. Make it make sense.

I see it as follows:

If Liam does well and clearly outperforms Yuki over the rest of the season, there is a great chance he gets the 2025 Red Bull and Checo is dropped. Then Isack Hadjar would take the RB seat vacated by Liam.

If Liam is more neck and neck with Yuki or underperforms, then Checo keeps the Red Bull seat for 2025 and Liam stays with RB for 2025.

Either way, Checo won't be with Red Bull in 2026.

[clutchdj]

Originally Posted by dfox

They did a lot for him, you've just gotta step back and see the bigger picture. He drove in 2023 and 2024 as his sendoff. His performance for the past 5 years did not deserve anything else, he was super lucky to have a seat.

Ric screwed RB back in 2019 when he left for Renault. Then he screwed Renault when he left for McLaren. RB gave him another 2 years in the car after all of the other teams said no thanks. You can't just go team hopping like that and not back it up with performance.

Adios Ric, hopefully he sticks around and becomes an announcer or something so we can still enjoy his character, but his current driving is pathetic. Time for another rookie to step in.

Yup. Guy was never impressive. All ego.

[dfox]

Originally Posted by NervoS

According to rumors - not for much longer. There are rumors that he will resign "himself" after Mexican GP.

Same rumors circulated last year. It's just clickbait, looking for ad revenue because you viewed their page. Checo was interviewed and said he intends to drive for at least 2 more years.

He was the one who knew when RB started screwing up their car. Max just drove around the problem, Checo identified it. He was driving really well until then, and has come back into decent form since RB started making changes. He'll be around for a few more years.

[dfox]

Originally Posted by RichardInCA

Lousy way to let him go through - not even giving him a proper/official team send off at his last race. Still it’s the RB way I guess.

What would a "proper send off" be? And why? Why belabor it? He left RB hanging back in 2018, and all of the sudden now they need to bend over backwards for a poorly performing driver, and do what exactly?

[a5m]

Seems most who are feeling bad for Ric are either new F1 fans (thanks DTS) or those who found his supposed charming personality entertaining. He peaked at Red Bull and I'm shocked he stuck around as long as he did.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by dfox

What would a "proper send off" be? And why? Why belabor it? He left RB hanging back in 2018, and all of the sudden now they need to bend over backwards for a poorly performing driver, and do what exactly?

Whether you like the guy or not, actually announcing it during the weekend so he could be acknowledged formally by the paddock in Singapore would have been a much more appropriate way to announce the driver change by a team. Instead he was left dangling in front of the media to kinda/sorta/maybe hint it was his last race.

Drivers leave teams all the time; he left RB as he saw the writing on the wall that he would perpetually be #2 driver to Max there on. Arguably the right call. If RB was so injured by that decision, they wouldn’t have brought him back.

I agree he didn’t cut it and underperformed, still no reason not to treat him with a little more dignity.

[FC4]

Originally Posted by a5m

Seems most who are feeling bad for Ric are either new F1 fans (thanks DTS) or those who found his supposed charming personality entertaining. He peaked at Red Bull and I'm shocked he stuck around as long as he did.

Calling someone a fan because of DTS is the laziest dig one can make in an F1 convo. It's like the "10 sec penalty for Ocon" rubbish.

Sure, they don't owe him anything, and I don't disagree with any of the points above really. He was a back-marker for the last few years and his story would have had a better ending if he hung it up a while ago.

But it would not have hurt RB to announce his departure prior to the race so he could at least have a parade lap and do some donuts.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by CMW33

If Liam is more neck and neck with Yuki or underperforms, ....

they will then try to sign Colapinto.