Daniel Ricciardo Replaced By Liam Lawson For The Remainder Of F1 Season

Daniel Ricciardo is out of Formula 1, and it seems for good this time. The RB F1 team confirmed the news on Thursday and also announced that Liam Lawson will partner with Yuki Tsunoda.

The former Red Bull driver’s departure isn’t a surprise. He struggled to cement his place in the junior team and never outperformed Tsunoda. He scored 12 points from 18 races, 10 points less than his teammate.

News of Ricciardo’s exit saw fans of the “Honey Badger” sharing their thoughts on social media. Many supporters said the Australian’s infectious attitude and smile made them start following the sport.

Ricciardo’s appearances on Netflix’s Drive to Survive and US talk shows boosted the sport’s presence in North America and other parts of the world.

The Australian posted a farewell statement on Instagram:
“I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and wonderful and has 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.”

Ricciardo’s final notable moment in F1 was helping former teammate Max Verstappen by stealing the fastest lap from Lando Norris at Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix on the final lap.

RB team principal Laurent Mekies said, “He has been a true gentleman both on and off the track, and never without that smile. He will be missed, but he will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.”

Not Good Enough For Perez’s Seat

The 35-year-old was recruited by RB after a strong winter test in 2023 for the senior team. 2024 was supposed to be Ricciardo’s chance to show he had what it took to partner with Verstappen again, but that never materialized, and his 13-year career has come to an end.

Across his F1 career, the Australian scored eight victories, three pole positions, 32 podiums, and 1,329 points.

He was given a fair opportunity—some might say more than fair—but ultimately failed to reach the levels we saw from him during the mid-2010s. Ricciardo’s disappointing stint at McLaren, following his move from Renault, also saw his stock plummet considerably. It was only his connection to the Red Bull family that saw him return to the sport last year.

Lawson’s Big Chance

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko felt it was the right time for Lawson to have an audition for the Red Bull seat in 2025, with the team considering replacing Sergio Perez.

Marko, along with Christian Horner, has a good sense of the New Zealand driver’s talent. Lawson scored points in his third GP, finishing ninth at the Singapore GP while substituting for Ricciardo over five races.

Now it’s about seeing if the 22-year-old can thrive under pressure and challenge Tsunoda.

End of an Era

Perhaps Lewis Hamilton’s reflection on Ricciardo on Instagram sums up the man best: “You leave a legacy of always being yourself, which in this sport is never easy. You’ve taken it all with the biggest smile, and I salute you for it.”

Farewell, Honey Badger.

Sean Parker

Sean Parker is a motorsport journalist and sports content creator at The South African. He has worked for the country's premier motoring publications, and is a Formula 1 contributor to Bet.co.za, the Bet Central podcast, and Vision View Sports radio.