For the Milton Keynes team, fire the drivers after the season has started it's not new, but rather a move consolidated over time. Over the years the practice has also been extended to the satellite team Toro Rosso (now Visa Cash App Racing Bulls). Daniel Ricciardo is thelatest victim of this system tested and his name joins a long list of drivers replaced by Red Bull during the season.
Red Bull – Toro Rosso: a family at high risk of replacement
For the first season – that of 2005 – David Coulthard was hired, Christian Klien and Vitantonio LiuzziIt was agreed in advance that Klien and Liuzzi would alternate driving the second Red Bull single-seater. Klien took part in the first three races, before giving way to the Italian driver. Liuzzi took to the track for seven Grands Prix, but the results obtained they were not satisfactory for the team, which he decided Than we to make Klien run in the remaining nine stages of the calendar.
Liuzzi was however chosen the following year to drive the car of the Faenza team – named Toro Rosso – after Red Bull proceeded with the purchase of Minardi. The Austrian driver Kilen instead remained tied to the Milton Keynes team for the 2006 season, obtaining two eighth places in the Bahrain and German GPs. From the moment the team decided to not want to renew Klien's contract for the coming year, the pilot was left free and replaced for the final three races by the tester robert doornbos.
In 2007 it became clear that even in Toro Rosso there was a high risk for the pilots to be fired during the seasonThe American Scott can testify to this. Speed, who lived this experience first hand. Speed, in fact, competed with the Faenza team for a good part of the season, but did not achieve the results the team had hoped for. After a particularly complicated European GP, Scott Speed it was replaced from the young BMW test driver – and member of the Red Bull Junior Team – Sebastian Vettel.
From winning the World Cup to the winning choice
In 2008 the list of Red Bull drivers who were replaced suffered a setback, but this break lasted only until 2009. In that season Toro Rosso confirmed the driver from the previous year, Sebastien Bourdais, who was joined by Sébastien Buemi. From the Hungarian Grand Prix, however, it was the driver who had already driven for the Faenza team who was replaced. In his place took over the Spanish Jaime Alguersuari, but the team's performance remained uncompetitive, except in the last three races of the season.
Il 2010 it was an important year for Red Bull, which conquered and the Drivers' title with Sebastian Vettel than that builders, also thanks to the contribution of Mark Webber. The Austrian team continued to dominate until the end of 2013. During this period no driver was fired or replaced. The resumption of the replacement practice It happened when, the 5 May 2016, it was decided by the property that the young man Max Verstappen will take the post in Red Bull di Daniil Kvyat. The driver of Russian origin thus returned to Toro Rosso starting from the Spanish GP. The choice proved to be correct when, on his debut with the “mother” team, Verstappen achieved his first victory.
Replaced by Red Bull: How many drivers has this happened to?
Daniil Kvyat in 2017, still disappointed by the relegation, struggled to keep up with the performances of his teammate, Carlos Sainz. Kvjat lost his seat again – this time also losing his place in Formula 1 – which was taken by the winner of GP2 Pierre Gasly.
Jolyon Palmer was fired by Renault with four races remaining in the championship. The French team then decided to bring forward the transfer of Carlos Sainz, who was due to leave Toro Rosso and join Renault in 2018. seat of the Faenza stable was occupied by the New Zealand pilot Brendon Hartley, who remained there until the end of the following season.
For 2019, Red Bull retained Max Verstappen and chose to partner him with Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman failed to match his teammate's results and the pressure of a possible dismissal began to be felt. August 12th In fact, the feared swap was announced: Gasly returned to drive for the team that made him debut in F1, while the Austrian team Alexander Albon promoted.
Daniel Ricciardo's Return and Farewell
Toro Rosso changed its name in the meantime, becoming Alpha tauri, team that in 2023 he hired an up-and-comer Nyck de Vries. The Dutch driver had shown his ability to adapt at the previous year's Monza GP, driving Vettel's Aston Martin during FP1 and then Albon's Williams – who had undergone emergency surgery for appendicitis – for the rest of the weekend. Although the premises were good, De Vries struggled with his Alpha Tauri and it wasn't long before he too became one of the many drivers replaced by Red Bull.
In fact, on July 11th it was announced that the second seat of the Faenza team will come busy, for the rest of the season, from Daniel Ricciardo. During free practice for the Dutch GP, the Australian had an accident which caused him to fracture of the left wrist. With Ricciardo out of the game took over, starting from the qualifications, Liam Lawson.The New Zealander took part in five races for AlphaTauri, before giving way to a recovered Ricciardo.
Finally, this summer, there were strong speculations that Perez's career at Red Bull was over, but the Mexican was however confirmed from the team. History repeats itself again when the rumor rumours of Ricciardo's possible dismissal began to circulate. On this occasion, however, the rumours were supported by a clause in Lawson's contract, which would have allowed him to look elsewhere if Red Bull did not reserve a seat for him before the end of September. On 26 September, the communique which announces theRicciardo's farewell from Visa Cash App RB. From the next GP, the one in the United States, Liam Lawson will take to the track. Daniel Ricciardo is the latest victim of a now consolidated system of driver substitutions. Who will be the next?
