Daniel Ricciardo has officially parted ways with the Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team, effective immediately, as announced by the team. His departure ends weeks of speculation regarding his future in the sport.
Ricciardo, who found himself without a seat for the 2023 season after leaving McLaren, joined RB during the previous season to take over from Nyck De Vries, who was let go for not meeting performance expectations. With his contract set to expire at the end of this season and discussions of a return to Red Bull circulating, the decision was made to replace him sooner than anticipated.
In an emotional Instagram post, Ricciardo expressed his love for F1, saying, “I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey… To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than me … thank you.”
RB Team Principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged Ricciardo’s contributions over the last two seasons, praising his experience and positive influence on the team. “Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track… He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family,” Mekies remarked.
During his 14-season career, Ricciardo has established himself as a notable competitor in F1, securing eight race wins and finishing on the podium 32 times. He ranks 35th on the all-time points list with 1,329 points across 257 races. His last appearance was at the Singapore Grand Prix, where he placed 18th.
Ricciardo’s journey in Formula One began in 2011 with the HRT team before he joined Toro Rosso in 2012. He quickly moved up to the main Red Bull team in 2014 and enjoyed significant success over five seasons, achieving eight victories. After stints with Renault and McLaren, he returned to Red Bull’s sister team.
Reflecting on his career, Ricciardo had mentioned a mix of pride and desire for greater success as his motivation. He aspired to become a world champion, a dream that still eludes him.
His seat will be filled by Liam Lawson, a Red Bull junior driver who has already participated in five races this year while Ricciardo was sidelined by injury. Lawson, 22, is set to make his full-time racing debut at the upcoming US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.