NEW YORK.- Daniel Ricciardo, one of the most popular and charismatic drivers of the Formula 1was fired on Thursday for Red Bull Racing and will be replaced immediately by Liam Lawson.
Ricciardo, a 35-year-old Australian, knew that the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend was going to be his last race in F1. It was something that was essentially confirmed when his RB team — a subsidiary of Red Bull — called him to the pits before the final lap so that he would have the opportunity to record the fastest lap.
The driver achieved it and took the bonus point from Lando Norris, a title contender, and indirectly helped Max Verstappen in his attempt to win a fourth consecutive drivers’ championship. He sat in his car for an unusually long time after the race, enjoying his last moments.
Ricciardo acknowledged that Sunday was probably his last race and that he had tried to take advantage of his time with RB to add merit with the Red Bull main team, but that he could not have the “fairy ending” he wanted.
“Everyone at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work over the last two seasons with us,” said Laurent Mekies, the director of RB, when announcing Ricciardo’s departure. “He brought a lot of experience and talent to the team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone develop and foster a spirit of close unity.”
“Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track, always with that smile. We will miss him, but he will always have a special place in the Red Bull family,” he added.
Ricciardo won eight races in 14 seasons. The last one was at Monza in 2021 as a McLaren driver. He left McLaren after the 2022 season and returned to Red Bull as an ambassador.
This opened the doors for seven races with the Red Bull subsidiary team. He received the full-time spot for 2024, but was barely able to score points in three of 18 races.
golden times
His best result in a championship was third place in 2014 and 2016, years of overwhelming dominance by Mercedes. Ricciardo, then with Red Bull, was the best of the rest.
Ricciardo had a significant impact on F1 as one of the protagonists of the rise of the sport in the United States thanks to the series “Drive To Survive” on Netflix. But he has not shown interest in competing in motorsports in the United States. He stated over the weekend in Singapore that the IndyCar ovals scare him.
Lawson, a New Zealander, will finish the season at RB alongside Japanese Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson competed in five F1 races last year. His best result was a ninth place finish as a substitute, after Ricciardo broke his hand in a collision.
