Daniel Ricciardo’s rumored exit from RB is now a done deal.
RB, the sister team of Red Bull, announced Thursday that Ricciardo is being dropped from the roster effective immediately and won’t race in the final six Formula One events of the season. The 35-year-old Australian, who has eight wins and 32 podiums in his career, is being replaced by 22-year-old Liam Lawson.
The New Zealander, a reserve with RB since 2022, will debut as a full-time team member Oct. 20 at the U.S. Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
Ricciardo, who took part in 257 races, hinted at the likely end of his career in an Instagram post Thursday.
“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,” he wrote. “To the fans who love the sports sometimes more than me haha 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.”
Ricciardo had been racing for Red Bull’s sister team RB since July 2023, hoping to be moved to Red Bull to pair with Max Verstappen. He struggled on the track this season and accumulated just 12 points, putting him in a distant 14th place in the standings. Verstappen, the leader, has 331 points for comparison.
RB’s other driver, Yuki Tsunoda, has 22 points and sits in 12th place.
Laurent Mekies, the RB principal, addressed Ricciardo’s exit.
“He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the Team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to develop and foster a tight team spirit,” Mekies said in a team statement. “Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile. He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.”
Riccardo’s results as well as the thought of losing Lawson spurred RB to action, apparently. According to multiple reports, Lawson had a clause in his contract that stipulated he could become a free agent if not given a seat for next season. That seat change is happening now, however, until waiting until the end of the season.
Ricciardo finished in 18th place last week at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Lawson filled in for an injured Ricciardo in 2023, making his Grand Prix debut in Zandvoort, and drove in five races. He finished ninth in Singapore.
–Field Level Media
