Formula 1 Rumor: Lawson to replace washed up Ricciardo in 2025 (3rd Update)
A Red Bull Racing spokesperson has attempted to set straight the rumors surrounding Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.
Reports surfaced on Thursday that the embattled Ricciardo was set to be sacked in a few weeks.
The story was spread by veteran F1 journalist Joe Saward on X (formerly Twitter) only hours after explosive comments were made by director of the Red Bull Formula One teams Helmut Marko.
Marko, the Red Bull chief adviser, hinted that young Kiwi driver Liam Lawson would take over the Visa Cash App RB car as early as next month and said that Lawson was set to step in by 2025.
But later on Thursday senior Red Bull spokesperson told racing site sportskeeda those headlines were wide of the mark.
“There will be no change to the driver line-up for the foreseeable future,” the spokesperson told sportskeeda.
Speaking to Austrian publication Kleine Zeitung, Marko said there desire was to have Lawson in the driver’s seat.
“The shareholders have made it clear that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly,” he said.
“The goal was that (Ricciardo) would be considered for Red Bull Racing with exceptional performances. That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is no longer valid.
“We will have to put a young driver in there soon. That would be Liam Lawson.”
Saward thought the change could be made imminently.
“So, Lawson will be in for Ricciardo at some point. I’d guess the end of July,” Saward said.
June 26, 2024
(GMM) Liam Lawson looks set to replace and oust Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull’s junior team, RB, for 2025.
Amid the current driver market ‘silly season’, it emerges that a key date relevant to many contracts and final deadlines is around the end of June.
“I’m ready for next week,” nervous Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas said. “There’s one specific date, I can’t say what it is, but many things will be decided.”
Some contractual deadlines may coincide with this weekend’s Austrian GP, while more will unfold over the course of the race at Silverstone a week later.
“Silverstone is going to be crazy,” predicts Oliver Bearman, who looks set to take at least one of the seats at Haas next year. “A lot of things are going to happen.”
Underperforming RB driver Daniel Ricciardo admitted in Barcelona last weekend that he was nervous about his place at the Faenza-based team beyond 2024.
“It’s tough,” said the Australian, “because there’s not really just one thing behind a decision. There’s so many. It can be very taxing.”
One of those factors for Ricciardo is that if team owner Red Bull cannot offer its reserve driver Lawson, 22, a full race seat for 2025, he is free to sign elsewhere.
It’s no coincidence that rumors of Lawson’s talks with Audi-owned Sauber are suddenly emerging.
But Red Bull team consultant Dr Helmut Marko has now indicated that Lawson will indeed be Yuki Tsunoda’s teammate at RB next year – replacing Ricciardo.
“The shareholders have made it known that it is a junior team, and we have to act accordingly,” he told Kleine Zeitung newspaper ahead of the outfit’s own grand prix in Austria.
“The goal with Daniel was that he would be considered for Red Bull Racing with exceptional performances,” Marko explained. “That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is no longer valid.”
As for the RB lineup, Marko added: “We have to put a young driver in there soon. That would be Liam Lawson.”
Marko has also expressed concerns about the major upgrade introduced by RB in Barcelona.
“They had a real performance crash with the car – it was a real downgrade,” he told Speed Week.
May 13, 2024
(GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has warned F1 hopeful Liam Lawson not to hold out too much hope of an immediate leap into Formula 1.
Recently, rumors have swirled that the Red Bull camp is so disillusioned with Daniel Ricciardo’s struggle to get back up to speed in F1 that he may be replaced at the junior squad RB immediately.
“The rumors that Ricciardo will be replaced by Liam Lawson at Imola are nonsense,” Marko, Red Bull’s influential Austrian F1 consultant, told Speed Week.
He thinks the rumors in Miami were all revved up by Lawson’s manager.
“Liam’s manager from New Zealand was there, apparently he has certain dreams and they are made known through some media – including those from New Zealand,” Marko, 81, added.
“Nothing at all is planned in Imola. But of course we will look at this in the future.”
34-year-old Ricciardo, having successfully lobbied for a fresh RB monocoque as of the Chinese GP, appeared to return to top form in Miami by qualifying and finishing fourth in the sprint events.
Marko says it was a “remarkable performance” and “a sensation”.
“Ricciardo never got up to speed in the race, though,” he explained. “Yuki (Tsunoda) set consistently fast times, while Ricciardo lacked the speed and confidence that was evident in the sprint.”
As for Japanese Tsunoda, his place in the Red Bull camp appears safe.
“If Yuki continues to drive like he did in the rest of the races, then it will certainly be a good letter of recommendation that he is giving,” Marko said.
At the top team Red Bull Racing, Sergio Perez is believed to have secured a new deal to stay next year – even though he almost blew it by coming close to taking out his teammate Max Verstappen at the start in Miami.
“I thought to myself ‘For God’s sake!'” Marko revealed.
“It reminded me of Mexico, where Checo made a similar maneuver in the first corner. Thank God that turned out well as of course it would have been Waterloo if he had taken Max out.
“Overall, his race was good. The deficit was tolerable,” Marko said.
April 10, 2024
(GMM) Apparently washed up driver Daniel Ricciardo could be on his last legs in Formula 1, former driver Giedo van der Garde is warning.
He says that while Ricciardo’s much younger and less experienced RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda leaps into contention for a promotion to Red Bull Racing next year, the 34-year-old Australian could soon be ousted.
Van der Garde was speaking to the DRS De Race Show podcast just a few days after Ricciardo’s situation only worsened at Suzuka with a lap-1 crash into the barriers with Williams’ Alex Albon.
Whilst arguably just a normal racing incident, the Dutchman said: “When you are under pressure and driving very tensely, you let people pass you and you make mistakes. And then you get hit and you go into the wall.”
Red Bull’s influential consultant Dr Helmut Marko told Speed Week this week that the reason Ricciardo got off to a slow start at Suzuka “was the hard tires”.
“But Ricciardo was overly cautious in the first corner anyway and was overtaken left and right. Then came the racing accident, which can easily happen,” said the Austrian.
In contrast, Marko said of Tsunoda: “He got off to a sensational start and his overtaking moves were the show of the day. The fans were absolutely thrilled.
“His weekend was on par with a Max or an Alonso. Error free, a super performance under the pressure of his home race.”
Van der Garde predicts: “If this continues, it will take a few more races like that and then Liam Lawson will be in that (Ricciardo) car. Things will move quickly.
“He’s a nice guy and a really good driver, but we see now that he’s a little short against Yuki. He was also a little short against Max (Verstappen), and a little short against Lando Norris.
“You see he starts to doubt himself and wonder whether he’s still got it. The confidence drops and everyone starts talking about him. If you can’t break that cycle, you’re done.”