Red Bull replaces Daniel Ricciardo with Liam Lawson at V-CARB for the rest of the season

Visa Cash App RB has announced that Liam Lawson will replace Daniel Ricciardo starting from the 2024 USGP in Austin. The New Zealander, who drove five races for the Red Bull junior team in 2023, will complete the remaining six races of the 2024 season.

Following widespread speculation during the Singapore GP weekend about Ricciardo’s future, it was confirmed that the Australian has driven his last race for the team this year. Team principal Laurent Mekies expressed gratitude for Ricciardo’s contributions and welcomed the 22-year-old Lawson, who will partner Yuki Tsunoda for the rest of the season.

The Visa Cash App RB team statement quoted Mekies as saying,

“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.”

Expressing his gratitude toward Daniel Ricciardo, Mekies said:

“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us. 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.”

Lawson has been sitting in the wings as a reserve driver since 2022 and replaced Ricciardo in 2023 after the 35-year-old sustained a hand injury during the Dutch GP weekend. In the five races the Kiwi participated in, he managed to score two points.

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Laurent Mekies feels there was excessive focus on Daniel Ricciardo throughout Singapore GP

Laurent Mekies acknowledged that the intense spotlight on Daniel Ricciardo throughout the season created undue pressure on the Australian driver. Having worked with the former Red Bull Racing driver previously at Renault, Mekies remained supportive of his capabilities and contributions.

At the Singapore GP, the speculation surrounding Ricciardo’s future dominated headlines from Thursday onward, overshadowing the weekend. The Visa Cash App RB team principal also acknowledged the team might have been too public in its assessments of driver performances, which only added to the pressure.

Speaking to SiriusXM after the race, Mekies said,

“There is nothing wrong with reviewing your drivers’ performance every few races, and I think we have perhaps been too public about it. We have done it in the first part of the season, we have done it quite famously just before the summer break.

"I guess at some stage we have said we will see after Singapore as well to discuss. So it’s part of the game. Certainly sometimes you can see it’s probably going a bit too far in terms of pressure, above all for Daniel in that case. Of course, these guys are high level athletes and they know how to deal with it, but sometimes it’s a bit unnecessary.”

The Visa Cash App RB F1 team currently sits sixth in the constructors’ championship with 34 points, but rival Haas is closing in, trailing by just three points. In the four races since the summer break, neither Yuki Tsunoda nor Daniel Ricciardo managed to score points for the team.

So far, Tsunoda has contributed 22 points, and Ricciardo 10. With Liam Lawson set to replace Ricciardo starting from the USGP in Austin, a potential shift in team dynamics and momentum is expected by some obervers. With just six races remaining, including two sprint events, the mid-field battle between Visa Cashapp RB and Haas will be one to watch.