Ricciardo to leave RB with immediate effect as team get set for mid-season driver change

Daniel Ricciardo will leave RB with immediate effect, bringing his second stint in Formula 1 to an end. He will be replaced by New Zealander Liam Lawson for the final six races of the season.
The Australian returned to a Formula 1 race seat last year in Hungary with AlphaTauri and stayed on when they became RB for this campaign.
READ MORE: Lawson to replace Ricciardo at RB for remainder of the season
Ricciardo scored points on five occasions, including a superb fourth in the Sprint in Miami, and sits 14th in the drivers’ standings, 10 points behind team mate Yuki Tsunoda.
However, his form hasn’t been enough to convince the Red Bull family to keep him on. That makes last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix – where he ended up 18th with the fastest lap – his final race.
It remains unclear what the future holds for Ricciardo, but it’s unlikely to involve a race seat on the 2025 Formula 1 grid.
One vacancy remains at Sauber/Audi, however, it is believed no talks have taken place with Valtteri Bottas the favourite to retain his seat.
This could spell the end of Ricciardo’s time in Formula 1, the Australian having clocked up eight wins, 32 podiums and 1329 points across 258 Grands Prix.
READ MORE: Ricciardo reacts to RB departure as he reflects on ‘wild and wonderful’ F1 adventure
His career has spanned 14 seasons, with P3 in the drivers’ championship in both 2014 and 2016 his best finish.
During that time, he drove for HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, McLaren and RB.
Following the confirmation of his RB exit, Ricciardo took to Instagram to reflect on his F1 adventure.
“I’ve loved this sport my whole life,” began Ricciardo’s message. “It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey. To the teams and individuals that have played their part, thank you. To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than me haha thank you.
“It’ll always have its highs and lows but it’s been fun and truth be told I wouldn’t change it. Until the next adventure.”
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Red Bull reserve Lawson has been named as Ricciardo’s replacement for the rest of the season, starting with the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin. This will allow them to evaluate him against team mate Yuki Tsunoda, who is enjoying his best campaign in F1 and already has a contract for next season.
“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us,” said boss Laurent Mekies.
“He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the Team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to develop and foster a tight team spirit.
“Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile. He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the Team well. He drove for us last season, and coped well under difficult circumstances, so it’ll be a natural transition.
“It’s great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step. We’re looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together.”
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