FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Singapore Grand Prix - Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore - September 21, 2024 RB's Daniel Ricciardo poses for a selfie with a fan ahead of practice REUTERS/Caroline Chia/File Photo
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest lap of Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix and was voted Driver of the Day but the Australian recognised also that he may have raced for the last time in Formula One.
The eight-times grand prix winner and fan favourite, particularly of those who follow the Netflix docu-series 'Drive to Survive', finished only 18th for Red Bull-owned RB and was lapped by McLaren's race winner Lando Norris.
Speculation about the Australian's future has been swirling for some time, with reports that he will be replaced by New Zealand's Liam Lawson from the next race in Austin, Texas.
Ricciardo did nothing to dispel the rumours in interviews after the race, speaking like a man who already knew what was coming.
Referring to the fastest lap as "one last crack at doing a fast one", the 35-year-old was asked by Sky Sports television if time was indeed up.
"Possibly, you know. I have to acknowledge that," he replied.
"It's been a little bit of a race-by-race situation and I would have obviously loved the weekend to have gone better. It didn't, so I have to be prepared for, yeah, this may be being it.
"I do feel, let's say, at peace with it," added Ricciardo. "At some point it'll come for all of us.
"I tried to get back into Red Bull, it didn't work out. So then I also have to say 'OK, what else am I ultimately doing here and trying to achieve?' I think when you experience the highs of winning, you can only fight for P10 for so long."
Previously team mate to now-triple champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull, Ricciardo's career tailed off when he left for Renault and then McLaren -- a contract the current leaders paid to terminate.
He was thrown a lifeline by RB last season, with the tantalising possibility of working his way back to Red Bull in place of Sergio Perez, but his results failed to match expectations.
"I was able to do some moments of maybe greatness this year, but it was trickier to do it week in, week out and maybe that's (being) 35, maybe that's the competition getting better and better, who knows," he said.
"It is exhausting... if this is it and if things move on without me, I think firstly I'll just give myself time to figure out what's next.
"Maybe it's something different, maybe I go on and climb mountains or something."
The fastest lap took a point from Norris, who had been quickest until then, and Ricciardo hoped it had guaranteed a nice Christmas present if Verstappen won the title by that margin.
"Let's say maybe the fairytale ending didn't happen but I also have to look back on what it's been, 13 or so years, and I'm proud," said the Australian of his career.
"Typically the Driver of the Day thing is maybe not something us drivers put too much into but today I can say it's something I'm appreciative of. That one today means a little something."
(Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
