New Daniel Ricciardo milestone as FIA record wiped out after brutal F1 exit
Former Red Bull, Renault and McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo pictured at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix
Former Red Bull and McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has seen the last of his FIA penalty points expire almost a year after his brutal F1 exit.
Ricciardo made his final F1 start at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix before the popular Australian was replaced by Liam Lawson at the Racing Bulls team for the final six races of the 2024 season.
Final Daniel Ricciardo penalty points dropped after F1 2024 exit
The 36-year-old has kept his distance from motor racing in the 12 months since his departure, with a Formula 1 comeback thought highly unlikely.
Ricciardo’s farewell appearance in Singapore came just weeks after an eventful race at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the scene of his last F1 win for McLaren in 2021, where he was hit with two separate penalties.
The Perth-born driver was handed a five-second penalty for squeezing Nico Hulkenberg, then of Haas, at the start of the race.
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Ricciardo’s day went from bad to worse when his front jackman touched his car too soon while he was serving the original penalty during a pit stop.
That landed Ricciardo an additional 10-second penalty for failing to serve his original punishment correctly.
Ricciardo, who eventually finished 13th, was also given one penalty point for the incident with Hulkenberg.
Under F1’s penalty-points system, introduced in 2014, penalty points remain valid for a 12-month period following the related offence.
However, with Monday (September 1) marking a year since the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, Ricciardo’s final penalty point has been wiped from his record.
Ricciardo’s former team enjoyed a fine weekend at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, where rookie Isack Hadjar finished third behind race winner Oscar Piastri and Ricciardo’s former Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.
Hadjar’s third place saw Racing Bulls claim its first podium finish since the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku when it competed under the AlphaTauri banner.
As revealed by PlanetF1.com, Ricciardo was treated in hospital last month following an incident with a dirtbike in Australia.
The veteran suffered a minor injury to his collarbone after an accident in Queensland, with Ricciardo understood to have been in good spirits after being taken to the nearby Mossman Hospital.
Ricciardo’s accident came just days after the eight-time race winner made his first public appearance since leaving F1.
Appearing at Ray White’s Connect conference on the Gold Coast, a bearded Ricciardo explained how life has changed since he left Formula 1 behind.
He said: “Well, I haven’t been shaving my face! The beard is my comfort right now.
“This year has been a bit of self-exploration. I lived this crazy high-speed life for so long and this year I’ve sat into a little bit of stillness.
“I’ve had a lot of time. I’ve done some hiking. I was in Alaska a few weeks ago and didn’t get mauled by a grizzly [bear], which was a bonus.
“I’ve been trying to figure out who I am other than this race car driver.
“I’ve come to appreciate the little thing more and the meaning of the importance of family and friends.
“I’ve always been driven and that sometimes leads you to being selfish, so I’m trying to learn to be a bit more selfless and become a better listener.”
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