“I feel, let’s say, at peace with it,” added Ricciardo, who returned to F1 with RB in mid-2023 after being dropped by McLaren. “It will come at some point for all of us… I think also, I tried to go back to Red Bull, it didn’t work out, so I also have to say to myself, ‘Okay, what else am I ultimately doing here and trying to achieve?’… Let’s say maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I also have to look back at what it was. About fourteen years and I’m proud.

“I think once you’ve experienced the high of winning, you can’t fight for tenth place forever. There’s nothing like that feeling, and when that’s no longer possible and it gets a little more difficult – then that’s the truth: I may have had some great moments this year, but it’s been harder to do that week after week. Maybe that’s because I’m 35, maybe because the competition is getting better and better. Who knows?”

READ MORE: ‘We flew the whole race’ – Norris praises ‘incredible’ win in Singapore despite ‘too many close calls’

After being named Driver of the Day, Ricciardo was seen taking his time getting out of the cockpit of his RB in parc fermé. The Australian seemed to enjoy his final moments with the car after a gruelling 62-lap race.

When asked what was going through his mind, an emotional Ricciardo replied: “A lot of emotions because – look, I’m aware that it could be that and I think it’s also just the exhaustion after the race. So it’s like a flood of many emotions and feelings and exhaustion.”

“The cockpit is something I’ve been used to for many years,” added the veteran of 257 Grand Prix starts, with tears in his eyes. “I just wanted to enjoy the moment.”