On Thursday, Red Bull Racing announced that they have parted ways with Daniel Ricciardo, one of the most beloved drivers in the Formula 1 circuit. He will be immediately replaced by Liam Lawson.
It was at the Singapore Grand Prix that the 35-year-old Ricciardo realized it was probably his last race in F1, as his team called him into the pits on the final lap to give him a chance to set the fastest lap. Despite the bittersweet end, Ricciardo achieved his goal and took away a bonus point from title contender Lando Norris, while indirectly aiding teammate Max Verstappen’s pursuit of a fourth consecutive championship.
After the race, Ricciardo took a moment to soak in his final moments in the car before making his way back to the paddock, where he was greeted by a guard of honour formed by his supporters who applauded him. While he had hoped to use his time at Red Bull to prove himself worthy of a spot in the main team, Ricciardo admitted that he didn’t get the fairytale ending he had hoped for.
Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull, expressed his gratitude towards Ricciardo for his positive attitude and contribution to the team during his two-year stint with them. He also mentioned that Ricciardo will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.
With eight race wins over 14 seasons, Ricciardo’s last victory came in 2021 when he was driving for McLaren. However, he was bought out of his contract and hired as a team ambassador by Red Bull for the 2022 season. This led to him racing for Red Bull’s sister team for seven races in 2023 before being given a full-time seat for the 2024 season. However, in his 18 races with the team so far, he has only managed to finish in the top ten three times.
His best championship finish was third place in 2014 and 2016, when Mercedes dominated the season and Ricciardo, then at Red Bull, was the best of the rest. With the arrival of Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2016, Ricciardo’s role gradually shifted to that of a supporting driver. His career took a hit when he moved to Renault in 2019 and then to McLaren in 2021, where he was often overshadowed by teammate Lando Norris.
However, Ricciardo gained global recognition as one of the leading faces of Formula 1’s surge in popularity in the United States, largely due to his appearance in the Netflix series “Drive To Survive”. Despite this, he has no plans to switch to American motorsports, and has even expressed his fear of racing on ovals in IndyCar.
As for his future, Ricciardo remains uncertain, but has always believed that he has the potential to become a world champion. In the meantime, New Zealand’s Liam Lawson, who has been a Red Bull reserve driver since 2022, will complete the rest of the season for the team alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson made his F1 debut at Zandvoort last year when Ricciardo was injured, and even managed to score points for the team with a ninth-place finish at the Singapore GP. Mekies welcomed Lawson to the team, stating that he has already proven himself in his previous five races for the team and it will be a smooth transition. He also expressed his excitement for the rest of the season with the young talent from within the Red Bull family.
