Beginning his F1 career in 2011 with HRT, Ricciardo quickly moved to Toro Rosso. In 2014, he joined the main Red Bull team, where he secured eight wins over five successful seasons.
His journey included stints with Renault and McLaren, but he later returned to the Red Bull family as a reserve driver before rejoining the sister team.
Ricciardo joined RB, previously known as Alpha Tauri, in mid-2023 after McLaren left him without a seat. He stepped in for Nyck De Vries, who struggled to perform adequately. With Ricciardo’s contract expiring at the end of the season, talks of a potential return to Red Bull emerged. However, the team opted for an early change.
The Visa Cash App Red Bull Formula One Team (RB) has now confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo has left the team immediately. This announcement ends weeks of speculation. Liam Lawson will take his place.
In an emotional Instagram post, Daniel Ricciardo reflected on his F1 journey. He thanked the teams and fans who supported him. He wrote,
“I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and wonderful. It’ll always have its highs and lows, but it’s been fun.”
Team Principal Laurent Mekies praised Ricciardo’s contributions:
“He has brought a wealth of experience and talent to the team. Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and will be missed.”
The Honey Badger’s time at RB was filled with a myriad of ups and downs. The Aussie’s defining moment may be his redemption at Monaco in 2018. After a pitstop error robbed him of a podium finish in 2016, the Honey Badger felt devastated. However, being the stubborn Aussie that he is, he fought back. He reclaimed a podium, cementing what may be the greatest redemption arc in Formula One this century.
Throughout his 14 seasons in F1, Ricciardo achieved eight race wins, 32 podiums, and accumulated an impressive 1,329 points over 257 races. His last race was the Singapore Grand Prix, where he finished 18th. Regretable.
Now, Lawson will step into the seat as a full-time driver, starting at the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, next month.
The 22-year-old knows the seat well. He previously filled in for Daniel Ricciardo during his five-race absence in 2023 due to injury and is eager to prove himself.
During his substitution stints, he outqualified and out raced the world champion. He finished 13th despite starting in dead last and finished ahead of his soon-to-be teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson also earned the sister team points by finishing 10th. Though his last race in Qatar ended in disaster, he showed the sport what he is capable of, and now he has that chance.
The Honey Badger has expressed no interest in becoming a reserve driver. He hinted that Lawson’s performance could influence the lineup for next season, especially with uncertainty surrounding Sergio Perez’s position at Red Bull.
As RB embraces a youth-focused strategy, fans will watch closely to see how Lawson performs. They will wonder whether he can secure a permanent seat in F1 for 2025, possibly alongside Max Verstappen at the senior Red Bull team.
