Amid the Melbourne race buzz, Daniel Ricciardo faces a stern warning from reserve driver Liam Lawson about his Red Bull F1 team position.
Daniel Ricciardo must “step up his game” or risk being replaced in Red Bull’s RB F1 junior team.
This was starkly suggested by his potential successor, reserve driver Liam Lawson, in no uncertain terms.
The Formula 1 world heads to Australia this weekend for the Melbourne race, where local media and figures are downbeat about the home driver’s chances of a strong result.
Eagerly waiting in the wings is Liam Lawson, who made a notable impression last year filling in for Ricciardo when he was sidelined to recover from a broken hand sustained at Zandvoort.
It is believed that Dr. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s consultant, would have preferred to place Lawson in the car this year, but Christian Horner insisted on giving Ricciardo’s F1 career a resurgence. Marko, for his part, stated in early 2024 that he did not rule out Lawson’s appearances on the grid during the current season.
“I think Daniel knows the potential is there, but I’m sure he’s aware he probably needs to step up his game,” Lawson said at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival this weekend.
When asked if he thought he could already do a better job than Ricciardo, Lawson smiled: “Absolutely.”
“Obviously, this year is the first time in a long while that everything is the same on the grid, no changes from the end of 2023.”
“It’s very hard to secure a seat when there are several experienced drivers. I feel I’m ready, but so are many others.”
“But I’ve been able to prove my worth to Red Bull in racing. That’s worth more than all the talk in the world. Ultimately, my goal is to get back in that seat as soon as possible.”
“We know Red Bull is pretty ruthless when a driver no longer fits.”
So Lawson himself has given Ricciardo a heads-up!
“I’ve always imagined what it would be like to be in Formula 1, and now I know what it’s like because I’ve driven there, so maybe that makes the waiting harder. Obviously, I want to be there full-time, so I’m working towards that.”
“But I think just knowing how rare the opportunity is, knowing how big it is, it’s obviously maybe frustrating at times, and I have to remind myself there’s nothing else I can do in the meantime.”
Ricciardo Red Bull Warning. Ricciardo Red Bull Warning
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