It's now official: Daniel Ricciardo will not finish the season. Racing Bulls has in fact decided to replace the Australian driver starting from next race weekend in Austin. Visa Cash App RB has announced the end of its adventure with Daniel Ricciardo via a post on Instagram. The arrival of Liam Lawson for these last 6 races of the season is also official.
Announcement comes in, Daniel Ricciardo will leave the team before the end of the season
Daniel's farewell was a secret, it was known to everyone by now, especially after the post-GP interviews Singapore. Daniel himself, aware that his adventure would come to an end after that Grand Prix, let himself go to a series of emotions, “savouring the moment”.
"He brought a lot of experience and talent to the team, with a fantastic attitude, which helped everyone develop and fostered a strong team spirit.” declared Laurent Mekies.
These are the words of Daniel Ricciardo, published in an Instagram post: “I’ve loved this sport all my life. It’s wild and beautiful and it’s been a journey. To the teams and those who did their part, thank you. To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than I do, thank you. It will always have its ups and downs but it was fun and to be honest I wouldn't change it.”
Liam Lawson to replace Ricciardo for the final 6 races of the season
The team also announced the name of Ricciardo's replacement for the last 6 races of the season: “Visa Cash App RB confirms that Liam Lawson will drive for the remainder of the 2024 season, competing alongside Yuki Tsunoda from the American Grand Prix in Austin."
“Liam has been a Red Bull reserve driver since 2022 and made his Grand Prix debut at Zandvoort last year, during Daniel’s recovery period. His impressive five-race run saw him score points for the team, finishing ninth in the Singapore GP.”
“Visa Cash App RB Team Principal Laurent Mekies said: “Everyone at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work over the past two seasons with us. He brought a wealth of experience and talent to the team, with a fantastic attitude that helped everyone develop and fostered a strong team spirit. Daniel was a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without a smile. He will be missed, but will always have a special place in the Red Bull family.”
Daniel Ricciardo leaves F1 with much bitterness but also much satisfaction
F1 is a tough world, it asks a lot and gives a lot. Everyone arrives hoping to leave their mark and it is difficult to say goodbye, even more so if you feel you can still give a lot. 13 years is a good number, and Ricciardo has had a lot of satisfaction in these years. Even though the last ones have perhaps been the most difficult. Starting from his exclusion by McLaren, the doubt as to whether he would ever return to a F1 single-seater. The opportunity he had with the replacement of De Vries, which then turned into an injury that made everything even more difficult. The pressure from Racing Bulls to bring Liam Lawson into the seat and the poor results, have definitively marked the end of the line for Daniel.
In Singapore his last signature, the fastest lap in the race. A last shot, not only giving a hand to Max, his historic friend and teammate for the world championship, but also tripping up a McLaren who left him at home when he was most vulnerable. Who knows what Daniel would have done with this McLaren. The thought can only go there, seeing him cross the finish line last and with Lando Norris in the lead.
His most recent feat, the last F1 victory at Monza in 2021 with McLaren, came on a weekend when the Woking car was extremely competitive. But with ifs and buts you don't get anywhere. And McLaren has made a choice that is currently paying off, especially in the choice of Oscar Piastri as a talent to grow. Undoubtedly, Daniel's absence will be felt especially in the paddock, which he has always managed to live lightly. On the other hand, his departure, as with Piastri, will give a young driver the opportunity to get to where Daniel got in the best years of his career.
