"Aware of all of the options" - Christian Horner comments on the future of Daniel Ricciardo at RB

Christian Horner claimed decisions surrounding the future of RB drivers like Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson will be taken during the summer break. Speaking to onsite media after the Spanish GP, the Red Bull Racing CEO reckoned it will take a few more races to finalize the RB lineup for 2025.

RB’s current lineup for 2025 includes Yuki Tsunoda whose seat was finalized. Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson has reportedly been eyeing the seat occupied by Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian was initially expected to make a bid for his old seat at Red Bull Racing by performing for a season in the junior team (RB). With his 2024 season being underwhelming, the 34-year-old’s future remains a question mark. Horner claimed they will need a few more races before they can evaluate their options for the Red Bull sister team.

Although there has been a lot of speculation over the future of Daniel Ricciardo in the sport, the recent performances in Canada and Spain have helped him buy more time. On paper, Tsunoda has managed to out-qualify him for 8 out of ten race weekends so far. In race results, Ricciardo has managed to outperform his Japanese teammate in three out of ten races. There are speculations that the Milton Keynes camp could release Lawson to Audi and retain the honey badger at RB.

Asked whether there have been any decisions or if there is a deadline for finalizing Daniel Ricciardo or Liam Lawson’s future, Horner said:

“I mean we're acutely aware of all of the options. So I guess over the summer break we'll sit down and start to look at it. The more races we have, the more information, the more data we have. So it's where we don't need to be in a rush.”

---

Helmut Marko suggests Liam Lawson could replace Daniel Ricciardo at RB

Helmut Marko issued a controversial statement surrounding the future of Daniel Ricciardo. He suggested that Liam Lawson could be the more suitable candidate for Visa Cash App RB. Marko also claimed that the shareholders at Red Bull Racing view the RB team as a junior team and that the future lineup needs to have Red Bull junior proteges as drivers.

According to the senior veteran, Ricciardo made a return with the Red Bull sister team to make a pitch for the 2025 seat on the main team. But with Sergio Perez confirmed for 2025 and beyond, Marko claimed this plan is no longer valid. At the beginning of the season, RB was supposed to revamp itself into a sister team for Red Bull and reinvent its identity on the grid. At the time, Daniel Ricciardo in their lineup made sense.

Speaking to Austrian publication Kleine Zeitung, Marko commented on the future of Daniel Ricciardo saying:

“The shareholders have made it clear that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly. The goal was that [Ricciardo] would be considered for Red Bull Racing with exceptional performances. That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is no longer valid. We will have to put a young driver in there soon. That would be Liam Lawson.”

At the Spanish GP, Daniel Ricciardo was seen with a hand-written note on his helmet saying ‘Not without a fight’. From speculation within the paddock, it seems the RB driver could have time until summer break to secure his future.

RB senior personnel Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer have reportedly supported the Aussie and believe his technical input to the team has been an enormous contribution. However, in the driver’s championship, the eight-time Grand Prix winner has scored only nine points and is in 12th place whereas Tsunoda has scored 19 points and is in tenth place.