Red Bull-owned RB's chief executive has revealed that Daniel Ricciardo himself requested that the announcement of his departure be delayed until after the Singapore Grand Prix weekend.
Fans, rival drivers, and even Max Verstappen and RB team boss Laurent Mekies expressed disappointment that Ricciardo's final race wasn't properly celebrated in Singapore.
"If he can't handle it and say it his way, it's a bit of a shame," Verstappen said.
Mekies agreed, stating, "Yes, you're right, it was not ideal to go through the weekend in that way.
"It's a decision that, in hindsight, we may or may not do differently."
Red Bull F1 advisor Dr. Helmut Marko had previously explained that the decision was tied to "compelling reasons related to commercial agreements."
However, RB CEO Peter Bayer told Sky Deutschland that it was Ricciardo who preferred a quieter final race weekend.
"From a commercial communication point of view, it could have been organised differently," Bayer acknowledged in Austin.
"But what was most important for us as a team was that we communicated very transparently and very, very openly and honestly with Daniel," Bayer, who is also Australian like Ricciardo, explained.
"We spoke to him again on the Wednesday before the race and he said, 'No, let's keep it low key.' We then spoke to him again on Saturday night, at 2am in Singapore, and he said, 'No, I just want to race, and those who are important to me know already.'
"As I said, we could have made a big fireworks display about it, but that was not what he wanted."
While some saw the situation as a bitter end to Ricciardo's time with Red Bull, Bayer insists that their relationship remains strong.
"We had him on the phone the day before yesterday," Bayer said. "He's happy, he's fine, he's at peace. He is happy with the way it went."
Bayer even hinted that Ricciardo may return to the Formula 1 paddock before the end of the season.
"We'll see. Let's be surprised," he remarked.
"Right now, he's focused on himself, his friends, his family, and he's happy and satisfied. I also think it's great that the other drivers are reacting the way they are.
"Daniel has contributed a lot to making this sport what it is today," Bayer added. "And we celebrated him accordingly. But like I said, the Singapore story is what it is." body check tags ::
