After the Singapore GP, RB announced that Daniel Ricciardo would be replaced by Liam Lawson in the remaining six races of the 2024 campaign. Lawson revealed that he had reached out to Ricciardo after the latter’s axing, to ask him for advice.
Lawson told Sky Sports that he had been trying to avoid the media as much as possible to avoid being asked about him taking Ricciardo’s place. He spoke about how he had a choice, but Ricciardo unfortunately didn’t. “He’s [Ricciardo] always been good to me,” Lawson said. “In more ways than people know… I [told him] ‘I’m sorry for this whole situation because it sucks and I know that.”
Lawson then revealed what Ricciardo told him. “Make the most of [it], because you get one shot at F1.”
Liam Lawson: “[ricciardo]’s always been good to me, in more ways than ppl know … I [told him] ‘I’m sorry for this whole situation bc it sucks & I know that, nothing against u’, & he said ‘make the most of [it], bc u get 1 shot at f1’ & wished me luck which I respect massively.” pic.twitter.com/TV0XS2u105
— cam¹⁶ (@LAWSTPNS) October 1, 2024
Ricciardo received a second shot at F1 after initially losing his place at McLaren and being welcomed back into the Red Bull family in 2023. So his advice may seem a bit unusual. However, most drivers aren’t as fortunate. Even Ricciardo was not performing at his true best during this second chance.
The Perth-born driver joined AlphaTauri (now RB) in 2023, hoping to end his F1 career on a high note by joining Red Bull. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, and now Lawson will replace him.
The New Zealander felt bad about how Ricciardo was replaced, but he won’t dwell on it. Lawson now has the opportunity to prove that he himself is good enough for the second seat at Red Bull.
Christian Horner isn’t ready to let go of Ricciardo just yet
Red Bull has found it difficult to find a stable driver lineup among its two teams as of late. They are still trying to figure out the best combination moving forward. While Sergio Perez has managed to stick to his seat alongside Max Verstappen for 2025, there is no telling what the next season has in store.
There is still a chance that the Mexican driver will continue to struggle and will be shown the exit door. There is also the possibility that Lawson might not be able to do enough to warrant a promotion to the senior team in 2025. And that’s where Christian Horner’s recent comment comes into the picture.
Red Bull says it wants to keep Daniel Ricciardo in an “ambassadorial capacity” but team boss Christian Horner has even left the door slightly ajar for Ricciardo to return to a Red Bull cockpit: pic.twitter.com/RG4DJ9XrPf
— The Race (@wearetherace) October 1, 2024
As per a recent report from Crash.net Horner said, “We’ve made it very clear that we want him to remain in an ambassadorial capacity with the team. And of course, one never really knows. I mean, if Liam doesn’t get the job done. If Checo doesn’t get the job done [laughs], we know what Daniel’s capability is.”
