New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS): New Zealand's Liam Lawson will replace Daniel Ricciardo at Team RB alongside Yuki Tsunoda for the remainder of the season, the Formula 1 team announced on Thursday. Ricciardo will leave RB with immediate effect, bringing his second stint in Formula 1 to an end. The Australian returned to a Formula 1 race seat last year in Hungary with AlphaTauri and stayed on when they became RB for this campaign.
Ricciardo has scored points five times this season, including an impressive fourth place in the Sprint race in Miami, and currently sits 14th in the drivers' standings, trailing teammate Yuki Tsunoda by 10 points.
However, his performances haven't been enough to secure a spot within the Red Bull family. As a result, last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, where he finished 18th with the fastest lap, marked his final race of the season.
Ricciardo's future in Formula 1 remains uncertain, and it's unlikely he'll have a race seat on the 2025 grid. Although there is still a vacancy at Sauber/Audi, no discussions are believed to have taken place, with Valtteri Bottas favoured to keep his seat.
This could signal the end of Ricciardo's Formula 1 career, during which he has achieved eight wins, 32 podiums, and 1,329 points in 258 Grand Prix appearances. His career, spanning 14 seasons, saw him claim his best finishes with third place in the Drivers' Championship in both 2014 and 2016. Throughout his career, he drove for HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, and RB.
Red Bull reserve Lawson has been named as Ricciardo's replacement for the remainder of the season, starting with the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin.
“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us. He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the Team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to develop and foster a tight team spirit,” said boss 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. I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the Team well. He drove for us last season and coped well under difficult circumstances, so it’ll be a natural transition.
“It’s great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step. We’re looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together," he added.