AUSTIN, TEXAS — RB boss Laurent Mekies has stated that the group may have dealt with Daniel Ricciardo’s exit from System 1 higher.

Ricciardo will probably be absent from the grid on the U.S. Grand Prix this weekend after his F1 profession completed with emotional TV interviews on the Singapore Grand Prix three weeks in the past.

His imminent departure had not been confirmed by the group however was closely speculated and Liam Lawson was confirmed as his substitute the next week.

Requested concerning the Ricciardo scenario, RB boss Mekies stated: “Sure it was irritating, and sure it was not preferrred to undergo the weekend in that method,” Mekies stated. “That’s initially for him, on knowledgeable and on a private matter, and for the entire group round him.”

Nonetheless, Mekies additionally made it clear that Ricciardo wasn’t left in the dead of night concerning the scenario.

“Daniel was conscious,” Mekies stated. “We did have discussions earlier than the weekend. For a lot of completely different causes, we selected collectively to enter that weekend with out saying. And from that time onwards, we needed to take care of it.

“It is a choice that, in hindsight, we could or could not do in a different way. Nevertheless it’s one thing that we have been, each the group and the drivers, on board to undergo that now.”

“I believe in a method or one other, all of us discovered a technique to specific how a lot love there may be from the game to Daniel, from the followers to Daniel.

“I do not know if it could have been higher or worse [to announce in Singapore], actually completely different, extra conventional, however I can hopefully say that the quantity of affection and empathy we felt via that weekend was one thing excellent and one thing that reveals that he is larger than an F1 driver, he is larger than F1.”