An announcement last Thursday by F1 team RB confirmed the rumour that Daniel Ricciardo will leave the team with immediate effect—replaced by Liam Lawson for the remainder of the season. Red Bull Management, unconvinced by his performance this season, have decided to drop the 35-year-old Australian with just six races remaining. The 22-year-old New Zealander, Liam Lawson, had shown talent in his five-race stint last season when he filled in for Ricciardo after the driver had broken his wrist in a severe crash at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Thus, the rumours as to next year’s RB lineup were directed at the possibility of the reserve driver finally getting his step up to Formula 1. These rumours were stoked by the team confirming Yuki Tsunoda’s contract extension back in June, but did not also confirm one for Ricciardo. Lawson’s seat in 2025 is not guaranteed, as the contract with RB expires at the end of the current season, so the young driver will have to prove his skill over a short six-race stint.
By putting Lawson into the car now, his performance can be accurately assessed over the remaining races before Red Bull finalise their plans for the 2025 season. Though he is one of the most popular drivers on the grid thanks to his cheery personality and sense of humour, Ricciardo’s performance this season was not enough to keep him in his seat at RB. The Australian had been consistently outperformed by his teammate Tsunoda since he was brought in mid last season to replace former RB driver Nyck de Vries, leaving him at 14th in the Drivers Championship standings, just ten points behind his teammate.
Across his 14-season long career, Ricciardo has racked up 258 Grand Prix finishes, 32 podiums and 1329 total career points. Many fellow drivers such as Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and McLarens’ Lando Norris have paid tribute to Ricciardo’s extensive career on their own Instagram pages, reflecting the legacy Ricciardo is leaving in his wake. In a statement on Instagram, Ricciardo said: "I’ve loved this sport my whole life.
It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey, to the teams and individuals that have played their part: thank you. To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than me: thank you. It’ll always have its highs and lows but it’s been fun, and, truth be told, I wouldn’t change it." “Until the next adventure." Lawson will be in the RB in just two weeks at the US Grand Prix Austin, Texas—but for Ricciardo the sun sets on his thirteen-year long career racing in Formula One.