Red Bull’s chief adviser surprisely admits Daniel Ricciardo could be replaced by Kiwi rival Liam Lawson before the end of this F1 season.
- Australian driver faces growing pressure to play with RB
- Had a slow start to the 2024 season with subsidiary Red Bull
- Could be replaced by promising New Zealand driver
Time is running out for Australian F1 star Daniel Ricciardo with Red Bull senior adviser Helmut Marko suggesting he be replaced by New Zealand rival Liam Lawson before the end of the year.
Ricciardo faces pressure to improve after a difficult start, having been outplayed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda in the first four races.
Ricciardo lost all qualifying sessions to Tsunoda 4-0 and trailed him 3-1 in the races, his only lead coming due to team orders in Bahrain.
Initially hoping for a strong 2024 to secure his place at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, Ricciardo is now fighting for his future with the team as Liam Lawson awaits an opportunity.
“We obviously have Liam Lawson as a reserve driver, a strong driver in the team, who is contractually free to race for another team if he does not get a place with us in 2025,” Marko told the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung.
“In this regard, it would of course be exciting for us if we could see it already in F1 this year, to give us an even clearer picture.”
“But it’s a complex subject, we have to wait and see how it evolves.”
Ricciardo is firmly in the spotlight after a slow start to the 2024 F1 season with RB and is under increasing pressure to keep his seat.
Kiwi driver Liam Lawson had been booked for a seat at Red Bull Racing, but could instead replace Ricciardo at RB.
Last year, rumors swirled that Liam Lawson had agreed to become Red Bull’s reserve driver for 2024, with the promise of a racing seat in 2025.
However, recent comments from Helmut Marko have clarified that while Lawson could get a racing seat, it is not guaranteed whether it will be with Red Bull Racing or the affiliated RB team where Ricciardo currently races.
Marko mentioned it would be “exciting” to see Lawson race this year, adding more pressure on Ricciardo. Marko also noted that Ricciardo has not lived up to expectations and is currently being outplayed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
“He was expected to be clearly faster than Yuki if he wanted to have any hope of getting behind the wheel at Red Bull,” Marko said.
“It hasn’t been the case so far, although it was close (in Japan). We’ll see how it develops.
Marko, pictured with Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner and Ricciardo, said the Australian could be replaced as early as this season.
Legendary team owner Eddie Jordan also doesn’t believe Ricciardo will finish the season with Red Bull Racing.
Marko’s claims were echoed by legendary team owner Eddie Jordan, who said he believed Ricciardo’s time was up in the latest episode of the Formula for Success podcast.
“I think his time is up, he hasn’t done enough for me to justify a move to the Red Bull team,” Jordan said.
“Actually, I’m not sure he’s done enough for me to stay where he is.
“So he’s another person who will be a big loss to Formula 1, so I hope he can stay either within a team or outside a team.”
“Actually, I’m not sure he’s done enough for me to stay where he is.
“So he’s another person who will be a big loss to Formula 1, so I hope he can stay either within a team or outside a team.”
“I still believe there is a big place for Daniel Ricciardo, whether it’s on television, in commentary or whatever.
“Of course it’s not the same as driving a car, but if you’re not capable of winning, getting on the podium or doing great things in the car, then why not consider another alternative ?”
