Eight-time F1 victory earner Daniel Ricciardo departs from RB, giving way to Liam Lawson in his place.
Daniel Ricciardo's stint with RB (originally named Alpha Tauri) will come to an end as Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson takes over. This marks the conclusion of rumors surrounding Ricciardo's seat for the 2023 season, following his departure from McLaren.
Following his exit from McLaren, Ricciardo found himself without a seat for the upcoming season. He subsequently joined RB midway through the year, replacing Nyck De Vries who was deemed underperforming.
Ricciardo's contract with the team ends this season, and there have been whispers of a potential return to Red Bull. However, RB, Red Bull's sister team, decided to replace the Australian driver prematurely.
"I've loved this sport my whole life," Ricciardo wrote on Instagram. "It's wild and wonderful and has been a journey.
"To the teams and individuals who have played their part, thank you. To the fans who love the sport more than I sometimes do ... 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."
RB Team Principal Laurent Mekies commended Ricciardo's contributions to the team over the past two seasons.
"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," he said. "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."
Ricciardo boasts an impressive record in his 14-year F1 career. An eight-time race winner and 32-time podium finisher, he ranks 35th on the all-time list. He has amassed 1,329 points across 257 races and took two top-three placements in the World Drivers' Championship.
His last race was the Singapore Grand Prix, resulting in an 18th-place finish.
Ricciardo began his F1 journey with Red Bull's Academy as a teenager, debuting with Spanish squad HRT in 2011 and moving on to Red Bull's sister team, Toro Rosso, the following year. He later joined the main Red Bull team in 2014, racking up eight wins over five seasons.
"When I got into the sport and moved to Europe, I was – maybe some people would find it hard to believe – I was quite a shy, not the most confident individual," he shared in a recent conversation with CNN Sport. "And I think I was also ... just quite young and immature. So getting signed up by the Red Bull program when I was 18 ... having that responsibility, that pressure, all of that, it forced me to grow up."
Moving to Renault for 2019 and then to McLaren in 2021, Ricciardo's tenure with McLaren was marked by struggles but he did manage to secure a memorable victory at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
"I'm proud. Like, don't get me wrong, if (my F1 career) ended today, I would be proud of what I've done," Ricciardo told CNN before the announcement. "But on the same note, you're never fully satisfied because the reason I got into Formula One was to try to become world champion.
"I can still be proud without it because I've put the effort in. But yeah, I still want to add that. That would give me 100% the full picture of happiness and satisfaction," he concluded.
However, the grid will soon miss the Aussie as RB embraces the youth movement, with Liam Lawson, a Red Bull junior driver, taking over. Lawson has some F1 experience, having filled in for Ricciardo during his wrist injury and serving as both Red Bull and RB's reserve driver.
The 22-year-old New Zealand native will make his full-time debut at the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, next month.
Despite Ricciardo's impressive motorsport career, including eight victories and 32 podium finishes in Formula 1, the sport of motorsport will see a shift with the departure of the experienced Australian driver. His replacement at RB, Liam Lawson, who has previously filled in for Ricciardo and served as a reserve driver, is set to make his full-time debut in the US Grand Prix, showcasing the ongoing trend of youth in motorsport and motorsports.
