Aussie sweetheart Daniel Ricciardo‘s Formula 1 future is hanging in the balance amid new rumours that he could be sacked from Visa Cash App RB (VCARB) as early as next month.
Ricciardo’s career has been uncertain for a while now, with the 8-time Grand Prix winner struggling to perform in recent years. He currently sits at 14th in the Drivers Championship, with just five points secured in the first 10 races.
The 34-year-old was gunning for a promotion to the senior Red Bull team, but now that the seat has been filled by Sergio Perez, Ricciardo’s options are fleeting as the junior team wants to prioritise, well, *junior* drivers.
“The shareholders have made it clear that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly,” Red Bull chief adviser Helmut Marko told Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung.
“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 That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is no longer valid.”
Ricciardo’s VCARB contract expires at the end of this season, and with Yuki Tsunoda already confirmed to be racing for the outfit next year, it seems like even if Danny makes it to the final race of 2024, he won’t have his contract renewed.
The empty seat at VCARB will almost certainly go to Kiwi driver (who I’m convinced we can claim as an honourary Aussie) Liam Lawson. And according to Formula 1 journalist Joel Saward, we could see Lawson racing sooner rather than later.
“So, Lawson will be in for Ricciardo at some point. I’d guess the end of July,” Saward said on X (formerly Twitter), adding that he’d “guess” this is the end of Ricciardo’s F1 career.
Should Ricciardo get axed from Red Bull, he will find himself fighting for the few remaining seats at Mercedes, Alpine, Williams, Haas and Stake for 2025. However, with a heap of young, new talent like Oliver Bearman and Jack Doohan also vying for those spots, this could very well mean the end of Ricciardo’s F1 career.
Earlier this year, Marko confirmed that Lawson’s contract means he can leave Red Bull entirely if he isn’t given a permanent seat for F1 2025, and after an impressive stint last year it’s hard to see why they wouldn’t want him.
It’s sad to see what is likely the end of the Daniel Ricciardo F1 era, but at least we can seek solace in the fact that Liam Lawson, like the rest of us, is a huge Cars (2006) fan.
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