Today, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team made it official.
A move long anticipated in the Formula 1 paddock was realized, as the organization announced that Daniel Ricciardo was being replaced for the rest of the season on Thursday, It is expected that Liam Lawson will take his seat for the remainder of the campaign. If that is indeed the move, it would mark the second time in as many years that Lawson has stepped into the lineup for Ricciardo, albeit under much different circumstances. Last year Lawson replaced Ricciardo following an injury the Australian driver suffered during practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.
This year, the move comes as VCARB is locked in a tight contest with Haas for sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship standings, and while the organization is hoping to solidify its lineup for 2025 and beyond.
The move was rumored to be coming in recent weeks, with senior advisor Dr. Helmut Marko pointing to “after Singapore” as when any announcement would be made regarding Lawson. That prompted rampant speculation regarding Ricciardo’s status at last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, with the driver forced to address his uncertain future throughout the week.
Then came the race itself.
With Ricciardo well out of the running, he was called into the pits during the closing laps and the team bolted on a fresh set of soft tires. The driver blazed out of the pit box and laid down the fastest lap, not just in the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, but in the circuit’s history.
While that lap had the added benefit of denying Lando Norris — locked in a Drivers’ Championship contest with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen — a bonus point for the fastest lap of the race — the team stated afterward that it was a chance for Ricciardo to “savor” the moment in what could be his final race.
“Given this may have been Daniel’s last race, we wanted to give him the chance to savor it and go out with the fastest lap,” said VCARB Team Principal Laurent Mekies after the race.
Today, the team made that official.
“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us,” said Mekies. “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.”
Sunday’s race in Singapore, and the aftermath, certainly had the feeling of an ending for Ricciardo. The driver took an extra moment inside the cockpit of the RB01 following the race, and was emotional when speaking with the official F1 channel following the Grand Prix:
e also received a rousing reception when he returned to VCARB’s hospitality space following his media duties, another indication that it might be a last hurrah for the driver:
Ricciardo long dreamt of a fairytale return to Red Bull, the team that helped propel him to superstardom. But those dreams took a major hit with the team announced that Sergio Pérez would be back for next season on a new contract that could see him with Red Bull until 2026.
That news meant that instead of fighting for a promotion, he was left fighting for his F1 future.
A future that is now in serious doubt.
