Now it’s official: Daniel Ricciardo must leave Racing Bulls with immediate effect. New Zealander Liam Lawson will replace the Australian. The result would mean the end of Ricciardo’s F1 career.
Racing Bulls bid farewell to driver Daniel Ricciardo midway through the season.
The team made it official at 5:45 p.m. Thursday with a quote from team principal Laurent McGees. Ricciardo has to leave the team.
McKees: “Everyone at the team would like to thank Daniel for his hard work with us over the last two seasons. Daniel was a true gentleman, on and off the track, never without that smile. He will be missed, but he will always hold a special place in the Red Bull family.”
Liam Lawson will take over from Austin for Ricciardo. When Ricciardo was injured last year, the New Zealander already represented him.
McKees: “I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the team very well. He raced for us last season and did well in difficult conditions, so the transition will be natural. It’s great to see young talent from the Red Bull family take the next step. Focus together throughout the season.” We look forward to paying you.
Liam Lawson comes in, so Daniel Ricciardo goes.
The decision has already been made in Singapore, although team officials want to deliberate after the weekend. It has now happened and the decision has been made – against the experienced Ricciardo and for the young hopeful Lawson.
With the end of Racing Bulls, the Formula 1 career of the likeable Australian, who always has a smile on his face, will most likely be over.
On Sunday evening in Singapore, Ricciardo left the Singapore hood as an active driver for the last time. A special weekend for the driver who debuted at Silverstone in 2011.
Ricciardo probably suspected that every step, every second, was the final time in Singapore: before exiting the cockpit for the last time after the race, Ricciardo paused with his hands on his thighs.
He later said: “It was very emotional. I know it could have been. I was tired after the race. It was a flood of emotions. The cockpit is something I’ve gotten very used to over the years. I wanted to enjoy the moment.” Even the otherwise radiant Ricciardo lost his voice and laughter for a moment.
On Sunday evening, his team and several teammates supported the Australian. Formula 1 pays tribute to Perth’s long career.
14 seasons, 257 Grands Prix, eight wins, three pole positions and 17 fastest race laps – he finished 17th in his farewell race in Singapore. There he was also voted Driver of the Day by the fans.
A fan favorite is saying goodbye.
Daniel Ricciardo took his first win in Formula 1 in Montreal, Canada in 2014. His Red Bull Racing teammate was on the podium with him at the time: Sebastian Vettel.
Formula 1: Ricciardo’s victory probably burned into the collective memory of Monaco 2018. The photo of him jumping into the pool at the Red Bull Energy station and taking a group bath is still legendary today.
Also iconic: the Ricciardo shoe! After the wins, the Australian drank bubbly on stage not from a bottle – but from a shoe. Well, cheers!
Monaco 2018 was Ricciardo’s last Formula 1 win for now. He left Red Bull Racing at the end of the season. There were no major successes at Renault over the next two years. Jerks have been at McLaren since 2021.
But his win at Monza 2021 will never be forgotten. The American has tattooed the Monza track silhouette and the date of victory on his upper arm. It was his first win for McLaren.
After the 2022 season, Ricciardo’s full-time Formula 1 career is over for now – with a surprise comeback in 2023. From the Hungary race, Ricciardo, actually the third driver at Red Bull Racing, replaced the unhappy Nyck de Vries. A year later, fate would repeat itself with reversed roles for Ricardo.
His return to racing bulls, later known as AlphaTauri, did not go as smoothly as he had hoped. He was injured in his third race weekend. During training at Zandvoort, a crash broke bones in his metacarpal, requiring surgery and out for five races. He was replaced by Liam Lawson who, of all people, was already solid and scored two points.
After the break, Ricciardo fought back and finished seventh in Mexico and eighth in Canada.
The “Honey Badger”’s time in Formula 1 is now over, with the driver of the day and fastest race lap at Singapore 2024…
