Formula 1 Rumor: Lawson to replace Ricciardo starting with USGP

This rumor, broke by AutoRacing1.com first, is upgraded to ‘fact’ with today’s announcement.

September 22, 2024

(GMM) Daniel Ricciardo appeared close to tears after qualifying eight places behind his teammate in Singapore.

16th placed qualifier Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Visa Cash App RB talks to the media in the Paddock after qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 21, 2024 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

On Sunday, the popular Australian, who has underperformed in recent years, will almost certainly race in Formula 1 for the 257th and final time.

“This performance probably makes the decision easier for Red Bull,” former F1 driver and Grand Prix Drivers’ Association president Alex Wurz declared to ORF.

Indeed, leading figures at Red Bull and its second F1 team, RB, are no longer really hiding that Liam Lawson will probably make his debut in Ricciardo’s cockpit next time out in Austin.

“We will announce the decision after Singapore,” team advisor Dr Helmut Marko admitted on Saturday.

“There is never a guarantee in Formula 1.”

It is rumoured Red Bull had to take up its 2025 option on Lawson before the end of September, and may contractually therefore have to give the 22-year-old New Zealander at least five grands prix within the 2024 season as well.

“It is about big strategic decisions for both teams,” RB CEO Peter Bayer told Sky Deutschland, adding that following similar discussions in the summer break, “Singapore is certainly another milestone.

“After Singapore, there will be final talks to discuss our lineup for 2025 and other options,” he added.

“As RB, we also have the task of developing young drivers. In principle, it is about weighing up and determining, under the leadership of Dr Marko and Christian Horner, which driver has the greatest potential to join Red Bull Racing at some point.

“When this driver will ideally join the team, whether this year or next year, will be decided in the next few days,” Bayer said. “It’s about the overall picture.”

35-year-old Ricciardo, however, appeared to know his time was up after qualifying just P16 in Singapore – as his customary big smile had become a face that was at times close to tears.

“Yes, of course it would have been nice to make a statement,” said the Australian. “The Q1 thing is annoying. With all the sh*t here, I thought today would go well.

“I try to stay optimistic, but today was a very pessimistic day,” Ricciardo admitted. “So I’m just going to drown in my ice bath.”

16th placed qualifier Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Visa Cash App RB walks in the Pitlane during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 21, 2024 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool //

The driver situation appears to be very unstable at Red Bull at present, with Max Verstappen perhaps flirting with Mercedes and Aston Martin, and Sergio Perez rumoured to potentially retire at the end of the season.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admits the team is looking towards the future, hinting that assessing Lawson in 2024 might now be a priority.

“We want to take our time to consider what the options for the future look like,” he told Sky Deutschland. “We’re not afraid to look outside our pool of drivers.

“George Russell is out of contract after next season. It would be foolish not to consider him.”

September 19, 2024

This rumor, originated by AutoRacing1.com on Monday (below), is as close to becoming ‘fact’ as one can get.

(GMM) The Singapore GP this weekend really could be Daniel Ricciardo’s last-ever Formula 1 race.

Rumors that have been swirling all season are now becoming concrete, with multiple sources reporting that Red Bull has taken up the expiring 2025 ‘option’ on Liam Lawson’s current contract.

That option – apparently expiring at the end of September – appears to be a guarantee of at least five grands prix within the 2024 season for the 22-year-old rookie reserve driver from New Zealand.

“It was probably part of the contract,” commented former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, speaking to Sky Deutschland, “otherwise they would have lost Lawson.”

When asked about the driver lineup at the junior team RB, Red Bull’s top F1 advisor Dr Helmut Marko told Viaplay at Baku last weekend: “It is still September, but from Singapore, we will have a precise idea.

“It will be quite clear as to what will happen with the second seat.”

Schumacher believes team owner Red Bull will announce in Singapore not only that Lawson is replacing Ricciardo full-time in 2025, but that the youngster will also be racing in the Australian’s seat from Austin onwards.

“It has not yet been officially confirmed, but unfortunately it seems to be Daniel Ricciardo’s last race in Singapore and from then on Liam Lawson will drive,” he said.

“RB is a junior team, that’s what the management has always said and supported – ‘We will rely on young drivers’. And that’s why it makes sense,” Schumacher added.

“It is of course a great pity for Daniel, because we will be missing a driver who is super likeable and a pleasure to meet when you see him in the paddock.”

As for Ricciardo, CNN posted an interview with the 35-year-old this week, and he sounds resigned to the notion that his F1 career could be ending.

“If it ended today, I would be proud of what I’ve done,” said the 8-time grand prix winner.

“But on the same note, you’re never fully satisfied because the reason I got into Formula 1 was to try to become world champion. That’s something I’ll obviously still try and achieve until the day I retire.”

Ricciardo to NASCAR?

In a recent interview with Tourism Western Australia, Ricciardo shared his post-Formula 1 ambitions and expressed a desire to explore opportunities in other leagues of motorsports, including NASCAR. “There’s things I would like to try and experience, I don’t know, let’s say on a competitive level,” Ricciardo explained.

The notion of a former Formula 1 driver stepping down to NASCAR (or IndyCar) when they are no longer fast enough for F1 is not without precedent. Racing legends such as Juan Pablo Montoya, Kamui Kobayashi, Kimi Raikkonen, and Jacques Villeneuve have all tried their hand at NASCAR. Many other washed up F1 drivers have stepped down to IndyCar.

September 18, 2024

After we rumored on Monday that the Singapore GP would be Daniel Ricciardo’s last race with the Visa Cash App RB team, and that he would be replaced by Liam Lawson starting with the USGP, other news outlets have run with the rumor.

Veteran F1 journalist Roger Benoit assumes that Singapore will likely be Ricciardo’s last appearance in RB colors.

“The career of Daniel Ricciardo could end here in Singapore, after 257 races and 8 victories,” he wrote in Blick newspaper.

“Racing Bulls has exercised the option on New Zealander Liam Lawson (22),” Benoit added. That is reinforced by the New Zealander’s appearance on the Taking Bull podcast, which is produced in-house by Red Bull.

September 17, 2024

After we rumored yesterday (see below) that Daniel Ricciardo will be replaced by Liam Lawson starting with the USGP, other rumors are swirling this week that Red Bull is finally ready to reveal its plans for its second F1 team RB – and those plans may be announced in Singapore with Liam Lawson immediately taking over from 35-year-old Ricciardo.

After Baku, Dutch journalist Rick Winkelman claimed that, according to his sources, the story is true.

“I have understood from several people that Liam Lawson will definitely drive in Singapore,” he told Ziggo Sport, which conflicts with our sources that say the announcement will be made in Singapore that Lawson will take over the seat during the 4-week gap between Singapore and the USGP

“Apparently, Lawson’s contract with Red Bull states that he has to drive at least five grands prix this year,” which means if he starts with the USGP he will get 6 races in 2024.

Red Bull F1 advisor Dr Helmut Marko was actually asked specifically about the plans for RB’s driver lineup, and he told Viaplay at Baku: “We have an idea, but we have to wait until Singapore.

“It is still September, but from Singapore, we will have a precise idea. It will be quite clear as to what will happen with the second seat.”

It is believed Marko’s reference to September is clearly related to clauses in New Zealander Lawson’s F1 contract with the energy drink company.

Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos says he will not be at all surprised if it turns out that Lawson, 22, has been guaranteed at least five grands prix in 2024.

“That is very possible,” he said, “because I had exactly the same contract at Red Bull, where they obligated you to step in for a number of races.

“In my case, they had to throw Christian Klien out,” Doornbos added, referring to the tail end of the 2006 season. “Otherwise, another clause would have come into effect.”

Dutch commentator Olav Mol says he will not personally be sad if Ricciardo’s Formula 1 adventure is indeed already over.

“He is simply done,” he said. “Valtteri Bottas is also done, and Zhou Guanyu is also done. That’s just the way it is.”

September 16, 2024

According to AutoRacing1.com (AR1) sources, New Zealand’s Liam Lawson will drive for the Visa Cash App RB Formula 1 team starting in Austin for the USGP.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Sources tell us Australian Daniel Ricciardo will be dropped from the team and Yuki Tsunoda will remain to drive alongside Lawson.

Red Bull gave 35-year old Ricciardo enough time to completely dominate Tsunoda, but he has not been able to, so it’s time to pull the plug.

Tsunoda has outperformed Ricciardo more than the reverse, and the team has decided it wants to have two young drivers going forward in case Max Verstappen leaves Red Bull after the 2025 season. Red Bull wants two young drivers in their ‘B’ team with enough race experience to be promoted up to the ‘A’ team.

Always some excuse for Ricciardo

Ricciardo qualified his RB 16th fastest on Saturday, though penalties for Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly saw him line up for the race in 14th.

In the early laps he was engaged in a scrap with Yuki Tsunoda and Lando Norris, before his pace fell away as the stint wore on.

“Starting on the hard, you always have that option to go long,” Ricciardo explained.

“I think we knew it was going to be a long afternoon when I had graining before the medium guys had graining.

“Actually Ollie [Bearman], to be fair, Ollie probably had a little bit very early because he came back into us, so there was a few laps, we caught him, and I was right behind him thinking ‘Okay, I’ll pass him easily.”

“But basically, as soon as I caught him, I then had the graining and I think his probably cleared.

“So even the medium guys cleared me, and I was two, three seconds slow for, I don’t know, I felt like the whole race, but I would say at least 10 laps.”

“We struggled so much with the graining,” Ricciardo said.

“I was just driving, honestly it was getting worse and worse, I thought ‘Okay, we’re probably just going to have to pit,’ and then the team said it looks like it’s clearing up on some cars, just try and do what you can with switches, help the balance, and see what happens.

“Then, all of a sudden, the next lap, a second quicker, half a second quicker, a second quicker. The swing was like four seconds.

“I’ve had graining before, but I’ve never had it like that.”