In a dramatic turn of events, strong speculations have arisen over Daniel Ricciardo’s potential axing from RedBull’s junior team, Visa Cash App RB. It seems as though the fan-favourite Australian driver is set to exit the grid mid-season, the same way he made his return last year. RedBull’s ruthlessness is in the spotlight once again, as Lawson seems to be replacing Daniel under the same circumstances that Daniel replaced de Nyck de Vries mid season in 2023.
Cause of Clause
The reason for Lawson’s potential abrupt entry seems to be a clause in the contract. According to F1.com “Sources say there’s a clause in Lawson’s contract that if Red Bull didn’t offer him a race seat for next season (or find him a seat elsewhere) by a certain date – believed to be within the last five days – then he would be released.” (F1.com)
There also seems to be a split in favour of Ricciardo and Lawson in the RedBull garage, while team principal Christian Horner is backing Daniel, top boss Helmut Marko wants Lawson to have the seat.
How did Ricciardo get stuck in this rut?
While Max Verstappen was dominating the grid in his RedBull, de Vries struggled in the junior team. Following his inconsistent form, RedBull infamously decided to axe the rookie mid-season and bring in Ricciardo who was under contract in the RB pool.
But the Australian’s hope of a strong comeback to the grid, following his exit from McLaren, was shattered. He also injured his wrist in a crash at the Dutch Grand Prix. After undergoing a surgery, Ricciardo was replaced by RB’s reserve driver Lawson, who seized his opportunities with impressive performances, which also included a 9th place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix.
A year later, things seem to be coming to a full circle as it is understood that this year’s Singapore GP is likely to be Ricciardo’s last. While speaking to The Race, Ricciardo made no effort in hiding his alarm over his uncertain future in F1.
“I’m aware of some talk and speculation about the rest of the season. Crazy things have happened in F1, so I’m not going to stand here too confident. We know how this sport works, people have not seen through a season before. It’s nothing new in some ways.” (The Race)
Grim future for Ricciardo?
If Lawson replaces the 35-year-old at the Austin GP, it would leave only one seat vacant on the grid for 2025 – Valtteri Bottas’ seat at Sauber (soon to be Audi). However, Sauber are already in talks with Bottas for a possible contract extension. If these talks are successful, it would leave Ricciardo without a seat for the foreseeable future, potentially signalling the end of the F1 heartthrob’s career.