Red Bull (RB) has announced the release of eight-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo after two seasons, marking a significant change in its driver lineup. Liam Lawson will take Ricciardo’s place for the remainder of the 2024 season.
“Everyone here at (RB) would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us,” said team principal Laurent 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.”
This decision confirms ongoing speculation that Ricciardo’s participation in the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix would be his last with the team. Following the race, Ricciardo expressed emotional sentiments, indicating he was prepared for this potential outcome, as reported by James Galloway of Sky Sports.
In Singapore, Ricciardo achieved the fastest lap, earning a point that impacted Lando Norris’s standings for reigning world champion Max Verstappen. Mekies noted, “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.”
Ricciardo’s career with Red Bull began as a test driver for its junior team, Toro Rosso, in 2011. He was promoted to the main team in 2014, where he secured seven victories over five seasons before moving to Renault. After two years, he returned to the Red Bull family in 2023 as a third driver, following a disappointing period at McLaren. Midway through the 2023 season, he was loaned to RB, then known as AlphaTauri, with hopes of returning to the main lineup alongside Verstappen.
His 2023 comeback was disrupted by a broken metacarpal in his hand sustained during the Dutch Grand Prix, leading to Lawson stepping in for five races. Lawson’s performance included knocking Verstappen out in Q2 during the Singapore event, where he finished ninth.
Overall, Ricciardo scored 18 points since his return, with notable achievements including a fourth-place qualifying in Mexico and a seventh-place finish, as well as starting fifth in Montreal after narrowly missing pole position by just 0.178 seconds.
