The farewell Daniel Ricciardo's arrival in Formula 1 surprised many, but not all. After a return to Red Bull full of expectations, his performances did not convince the team's top brass, who decided to focus on the young Liam Lawson to finish the season. Helmut Marko, Red Bull's long-time consultant, explained the reasons for this choice, and in an interview he painted a clear and direct picture of the situation, underlining how Ricciardo was no longer the driver he once was.
Ricciardo leaves F1 with a bitter taste in his mouth
“Great stories never end as we expect them to,” Stephen King said, and this phrase fits perfectly with the story of Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian driver's journey has been complex. Daniel has passed through several teams, but has always found a bit of home in Red Bull, where he has achieved 7 of his 8 career victories. The Austrian team has always believed in him and, after his farewell in 2018 and the stints in Renault and McLaren, welcomed him back. They offered him a second opportunity, a place in AlphaTauri, with the hope of seeing him again one day alongside Max Verstappen, and of finding "the old Daniel", as he himself wanted. However, as the months went by, things took a different turn. Visa Cash App RB's ambitions faded, and time - along with the points brought - began to weigh more and more.
The team was faced with a choice: keep Ricciardo or give space to a young talent like Lawson. The choice fell on Lawson.
Helmut Marko and the choice on Ricciardo: "The killer instinct was no longer there"
In an interview a Motorsport total, Helmut Marko has elaborated on the reasons that led to the separation from Daniel Ricciardo. “If we had known what happened to him, we would have helped him,” said Marko. “We no longer see those strengths in him, such as late braking or aggressive overtaking,” he explained. According to Marko, Ricciardo has lost his “killer instinct”, that determination that characterized him, and this has pushed Red Bull to take a drastic decision. “It was clear that he was no longer at the level needed to return to Red Bull Racing.”
Marko also shed light on when the relationship between Red Bull and Ricciardo began to deteriorate, recalling the Australian’s dramatic move to Renault in 2018. “It was a handshake deal,” he said, explaining how Ricciardo had suddenly changed his mind after raising concerns about the team’s decision to switch to Honda engines. “He had been convinced by the nonsense of Renault and Cyril Abiteboul,” Marko said, his tone still betraying bitterness. Despite their return in 2023, the relationship between the parties has not found the solidity it once was, and trust has never been fully restored.
Young talents on the launch pad: “Lawson deserved his place”
Red Bull’s future, according to Marko, is in young talent. “Ricciardo was brought back to F1 with the idea of evaluating whether he could return to Red Bull Racing, but we decided to look to the future,” explained the Austrian consultant. And the future, for Red Bull, is called Liam Lawson, who seized the opportunity offered with great determination. “Lawson has shown his value, and we are evaluating him against Yuki [Tsunoda] to understand who can be a reference driver for the next few years,” said Marko. The decision to promote Lawson, in fact, is seen as a necessary move to make room for a new generation of talent, such as Isack Hadjar, another promising youngster in the Red Bull program.
Ricciardo's thoughts on future: "He doesn't want to be a reserve driver"
Daniel Ricciardo's fate after leaving Visa Cash App RB is still uncertain. Marko confirmed that Red Bull would be interested in keeping Ricciardo as a third driver or brand ambassador, especially because of his huge popularity, especially in the United States. “We had a clear conversation: we are interested in having him as a reserve driver, but Ricciardo does not want that role.”, he explained. The consultant also added that the Australian driver does not seem interested in taking on marginal roles related to marketing or sponsorship: “He has a good bank account, and he is evaluating how to shape his future. I do not think we will see him in other categories, but it is not certain that he wants to remain in the orbit of Formula 1”.
The story between Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull thus seems to have reached a definitive epilogue, with Liam Lawson taking his place on the grid starting from the next GP in Austin. If for Ricciardo an important chapter of his career closes, for Lawson a great opportunity opens up, as underlined by Marko: “Lawson deserves this chance, and we want to see what he is capable of in the next GPs.” It remains to be seen what Ricciardo’s next adventure will be, but he already seems ready to look forward, as indicated in his farewell message on Instagram: “On to the next adventure.”
