By the end of 2024, Daniel Ricciardo, then active with Racing Bulls, was prematurely replaced by reserve driver Liam Lawson. After a questionable season from the Australian, his Formula 1 career came to an end following the Singapore Grand Prix. Lawson, who has since moved up to the main Red Bull team, opens up about this unique driver switch and the mutual respect between the two racers.
After his dismissal from McLaren in 2022, it seemed that Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 career was coming to an end. However, he returned half a year later to AlphaTauri, where he took over the seat from a struggling Nyck de Vries during the Hungarian Grand Prix. AlphaTauri became Racing Bulls, and Ricciardo remained as a full-time driver. However, in the second half of the 2024 season, his illustrious career came to an end; after a mediocre season, Red Bull’s junior team decided to place their trust in reserve driver Liam Lawson.
In an interview with GQ Australia, Lawson revealed that he had many conversations with Ricciardo around the much-discussed driver switch. Moreover, the cheerful Australian was the only one who reached out to him when he definitively took over Sergio Pérez’s Red Bull seat in the run-up to the 2025 Formula 1 season. “Of course, it’s up to the team to make a decision,” Lawson referred to the sudden switch with Ricciardo. “But Ricciardo was always very good to me. When I was told in December that I would be moving to Red Bull, he was the only driver who sent me a message to congratulate me. That characterizes him as a person.”
‘It was a brutal season’
Lawson further explained that it was ‘exhausting’ to watch from the sidelines in 2024, but he did not wish for Daniel Ricciardo‘s downfall. “Opportunities in this sport slip through your fingers quickly,” he elaborated. “In that regard, last year was an emotional roller coaster. Of course, you never wish anyone a downfall, but for me, that was the only way to secure a seat. It was a brutal season. Meanwhile, I was being tested by Red Bull in every way and had to seize every opportunity. All in all, it was not a pleasant experience.”
The interview with Lawson comes just a few days after Ricciardo made his voice heard again. After his departure from Racing Bulls, there was a long silence around him. This week, he posted a message on Instagram promoting his new rosé brand. He also referred to his past career in Formula 1. “I’ve been taking my foot off the gas a bit lately,” he said with a wink. The Australian seems to be enjoying a well-deserved retirement.
