Former Formula 1 driver and commentator Martin Brundle was unimpressed with Daniel Ricciardo’s ‘farewell’. He is convinced that the cheerful Australian drove his last Grand Prix in Singapore and will soon be replaced by Liam Lawson. Brundle regrets that Visa RB handled Ricciardo’s ultimate race in a ‘half-hearted’ manner.
“Visa RB brought Daniel Ricciardo in for fresh tires just before the end of the race,” Brundle wrote in a column for Sky Sports. “This allowed him to set the fastest lap time at the last moment. This did not earn him an extra point (Ricciardo did not finish in the top ten, so he was not eligible for championship points), but he did take that point away from Lando Norris and McLaren.”
“It was his (Ricciardo’s) last race in Formula 1 for the time being, and perhaps forever,” Brundle continued. The commentator is convinced that Lawson will take over during the next Grand Prix in Austin. “It was a rather half-hearted and confusing departure from the team,” Brundle noted. “Fortunately, the fans still rewarded him with the title ‘Driver of the Day’ – a nice farewell gift.”
Liam Lawson
“He has done extremely well all these years,” Brundle praised the Australian veteran. “I want to wish him a lot of success in the future; he is a world-class driver. Liam Lawson will take over his car in Austin. He finally gets the chance to prove that he should be driving for one of the two Red Bull teams next year.”
Brundle does not rule out that Lawson will move directly to Red Bull next year and drive alongside Max Verstappen. “Sergio Pérez started in Singapore from the thirteenth spot and eventually finished tenth,” observed the former Formula 1 driver. “It was another disappointing result. This will really be a problem for Red Bull in the future.”
