Ricciardo Out - Lawson to Race for RB in Austin

Liam Lawson will replace Ricciardo at RB F1 starting in Austin, following Ricciardo’s final race in Singapore.

Since last Sunday in Singapore, the question had been looming: Had Daniel Ricciardo, amidst almost general indifference, competed in his final career race? Rumors and his emotional response left little doubt, and now it is official.

Indeed, RB F1 has announced that Ricciardo will leave the team with immediate effect, making way for Liam Lawson, who will thus compete in six races this season before a very likely full-time role in 2025.

Lawson had previously stepped in for Ricciardo last year when the latter injured his wrist and was forced to take a break. The New Zealander put in a very solid performance, highlighted by a ninth-place finish in Singapore, but RB F1 ultimately retained Ricciardo for 2024.

“Everyone at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his work over the past two seasons with us. He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the team, with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to grow and foster a very strong team spirit. Daniel has been a gentleman on and off the track, never without his smile. He will be missed and will always hold a special place in the Red Bull family,” said Laurent Mekies, the director of RB F1.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He is already well acquainted with the team. He drove for us last season and performed well under challenging circumstances. It is wonderful to see young talents from the Red Bull family taking the next step. We look forward to getting to work and focusing together on the rest of the season.”

What many observers, including the team at Nextgen-Auto, had feared has indeed come to pass: Ricciardo has possibly raced his last race at the highest level without being able to enjoy it as he might have wished in front of the public, while the decision had very likely already been made by the team.

It would have been graceful on the part of RB F1 and Red Bull Racing, given their shared history with the Australian, to allow him to fully appreciate his potential farewell to Formula 1, in which he has been racing since 2011.