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"I don't want to see this" — Steiner on Ricciardo's unceremonious exit from F1

In a recent podcast interview, the former Haas F1 boss opened up on Ricciardo's decline — professionally and personally — following the Australian's emotional departure from the F1 paddock

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, in the Paddock

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

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2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

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2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

The United States flag flies above the grandstand

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Jock Clear, Senior Performance Engineer, Scuderia Ferrari, Oliver Bearman, Reserve Driver, Ferrari and Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Oliver Bearman, Reserve Driver, Ferrari and Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Liam Lawson, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, Stoffel Vandoorne, Test and Reserve Driver, Aston Martin F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team, the Alpine F1 Team celebrate their special livery

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Franco Colapinto, Williams Racing, takes a selfie with a fan

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Jak Crawford, Driver Development Program, Aston Martin F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Mick Schumacher, Reserve Driver, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Mattia Binotto, CEO and CTO, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Front wing details of the Mercedes F1 W15

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

The flag of the state of Texas, the Lone Star state

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

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2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Pato O'Ward, Reserve Driver, McLaren F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Andy Cowell, Group Chief Executive Officer, Aston Martin F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

A fans shows off their fan made cowboy hats in support of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team with the special liveried Alpine A524

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Haas team members practice a pit stop. Toyota branding is visible on the rear wing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

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2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team and Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Thursday

Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has weighed in on Daniel Ricciardo’s post-Renault decline following the Australian driver’s recent departure from Visa Cash App RB.

Ricciardo’s F1 career appears to have concluded after being dropped by RB following the Singapore Grand Prix. A hugely popular figure both in the paddock and among fans, the 35-year-old waved goodbye to the sport with an underwhelming 18th-place finish and the fastest lap on the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

This was hardly the goodbye many would have wanted for Ricciardo, whose global appeal was only heightened by his unique sense of humor and much-loved appearances on Netflix’s "Drive To Survive." And it appears Steiner was among those left disappointed by Ricciardo’s far-from-fairytale ending.

“I think Danny, when you see him on TV, how he talks, his demeanor, you can see where he is at. It's so open, he cannot fake it in my opinion,” Steiner told the Pitstop podcast.

A prime example of this ‘openness’ came while speaking with Sky Sports following qualifying in Singapore during which a clearly downbeat Ricciardo rued his performance - having qualified 16th - saying, “Every soft I used today I was not competitive at all.”

“I was like, ‘I don’t want to see this,’” Steiner commented seemingly in reference to the interview.

“It’s like, ‘Dude, just leave it, but do not do that to yourself.’ Because he was like a broken man. And it's quite sad to see because he doesn't deserve that in my opinion.”

But as it would turn out, Ricciardo’s post-race interview proved an even tougher watch for his fans.

Having taken a moment after the race to remain in the seat of his VCARB01, a clearly emotional Ricciardo told F1 of the moment, “The cockpit is something that I got very used to for many years…and yeah, just wanted to savor the moment.”

After a stint with HRT in 2011, Ricciardo’s F1 career truly got off the ground the following year with Scuderia Toro Rosso, where his 13 top 10 finished over the next two seasons proved enough to convince Red Bull he was deserving of replacing fellow Aussie Mark Webber alongside Sebastien Vettel.

Over the next five seasons, Ricciardo finished third in the drivers standings twice, totaling seven wins and reaching the podium 29 times. A move to Renault followed where he took on the role of their lead driver alongside Niko Hulkenberg.

Two years and just two third-place finishes later, Ricciardo was on the move again, this time taking Carlos Sainz’s seat at McLaren alongside young superstar Lando Norris. This proved a disastrous move for Ricciardo who was largely overshadowed by Norris between 2021-22 — although he did record his eighth and final F1 win with the team in 2021 at Monza.

“Why he failed at McLaren I don’t really understand because he won eight races, he knows that he can do it, you don’t win F1 races if you’re mediocre so you need to be good,” Steiner said.

“When he was at Renault he was good, there was no issue there. And then at McLaren, he just couldn’t get it together.”