Daniel Ricciardo, a well-liked driver in Formula 1, was let go by Red Bull Racing on Thursday and will be immediately replaced by Liam Lawson.
The 35-year-old Ricciardo realized at the Singapore Grand Prix that this was likely his last F1 race. This was almost confirmed when his team called him into the pits before the final lap, allowing him to set the fastest lap of the race.
He achieved that goal, which took a bonus point away from title contender Lando Norris and helped Max Verstappen in his quest for a fourth consecutive championship. After the race, Ricciardo took some time in his car to enjoy his final moments.
As he made his way back to the paddock, he walked through a line of supporters who applauded him.
Ricciardo acknowledged on Sunday that it was probably his last race. He had hoped his time with Red Bull would help him return to the main Red Bull team, but he didn’t get the “fairytale ending” he desired.
“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us,” said RB team principal Laurent Mekies. “He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone develop and foster a tight team spirit.
“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.”
Ricciardo won eight races over 14 seasons, with his last victory at Monza in 2021 while driving for McLaren. After the 2022 season, he was bought out of his McLaren contract and returned to Red Bull as a team ambassador.
This led to him racing for Red Bull’s sister team in seven races in 2023. Ricciardo was set to be a full-time driver for 2024, but in 18 races, he has only finished in the points three times.
His best finishes in the championship were third place in 2014 and 2016, during which Mercedes dominated, and Ricciardo, driving for Red Bull, was the next best driver.
When Verstappen joined Red Bull during the 2016 season, Ricciardo started to take on more of a supporting role. His career slowed down after moving to Renault in 2019, and when he switched to McLaren in 2021, he struggled against Norris.
Ricciardo made a significant impact on Formula 1 as one of the key figures in the sport’s rise in popularity in the U.S., largely due to Netflix’s “Drive To Survive” series. However, he has expressed no desire to move to American racing and mentioned at Singapore last weekend that racing IndyCar on ovals “scared” him.
He is uncertain about his future.
“When I got into F1, everyone knew me as the happy guy and the nice guy, but I do have a killer instinct,” he said in the first episode filmed during the 2018 season. “I do believe I can be world champion and for me it’s like, ‘Why else would I be doing this?’”
Liam Lawson, from New Zealand, will finish the season at Red Bull alongside Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson participated in five F1 races last year, achieving his best finish of ninth place when Ricciardo was out due to a hand injury from a crash.
Lawson has been a Red Bull reserve driver since 2022, making his Grand Prix debut in Zandvoort last year while Ricciardo was injured. During his five races, he scored points for the team and finished ninth at the Singapore Grand Prix.
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the team well. He drove for us last season and coped well under difficult circumstances, so it’ll be a natural transition,” Mekies said.
“It’s great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step. We’re looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together.”
