Why Daniel Ricciardo has been dropped from the Red Bull family - and why it's the right call

The Australian racer gave an emotional interview after the Singapore Grand Prix, where he appeared to be on the verge of tears while talking about his F1 future. Now, the 35-year-old has lost his Racing Bulls drive, being replaced by Liam Lawson for the rest of the 2024 season and beyond.

A perpetually smiling face in the paddock - and one of the fastest drivers around on his day - Ricciardo has been hugely popular among motorsport fans for many years. Sadly, it seemed somewhat inevitable that his time in the cockpit was coming to an end.

There are a fair few reasons why Racing Bulls and the wider Red Bull family have made this decision; here, we will explore those reasons, as well as what the future may hold for the Honey Badger.

Ricciardo’s failed Red Bull revival

When Ricciardo replaced underperforming Nyck De Vries last season, his battle plan seemed clear - put in consistent strong performances and rebuild his reputation after an up-and-down stint driving for McLaren. In Ricciardo’s eyes, this would eventually lead to ousting Sergio Perez from his Red Bull seat, and reclaiming a drive at the front of the field.

But as poet Robert Burns once wrote, the best-laid plans of mice and men oft' go awry. Ricciardo has struggled against Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda, and despite a handful of standout performances (like in Spa just a few races ago) he hasn’t really done enough to prove that he’d be a major upgrade to Red Bull over Perez. Rather, it would likely be a horizontal move that barely pushes the needle - and for Red Bull it seemingly just isn’t worth the paperwork.

Max Verstappen has repeatedly claimed that he won’t be in F1 for as long as drivers like Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso, and so the drinks company-backed outfit will be looking for the next generational talent to rise through their ranks. That means the older drivers eventually have to make way so that the younger talents can have their chance to shine.

The Liam Lawson conundrum

When Ricciardo was out for a few races last season, having broken his wrist in a crash at Zandvoort - understudy Liam Lawson stepped in and immediately impressed. His drives raised eyebrows to the extent that Red Bull’s director Dr Helmut Marko was immediately keen to get him in the car.

But it’s a case of now or never for Lawson; he graduated from Formula 2 in 2021 before spending a year racing in DTM, where he narrowly missed out on the title. Through his rise in the junior ranks, the New Zealand driver has always been part of the Red Bull Academy.

A clause in Lawson’s Red Bull contract states that if the team failed to offer him a race seat for 2025 (or find him a drive elsewhere) he would be released. While Christian Horner suggested that he could “rent out” Lawson, he has shown so much promise that losing him could be nothing short of disastrous in the long-term, especially if he joined a rival like Mercedes in the future.

When a door closes, another one opens

Daniel Ricciardo losing his F1 seat does not mean he’s done with motorsport, not by any stretch of the imagination. Just look at the smile he has on his face after each grand prix - he is a man who genuinely loves racing, and while he may feel wounded at the moment, the allure of the cockpit means he won’t be gone for long.

We will almost certainly see the Honey Badger return in another category, whether it’s endurance racing in WEC or going to IndyCar. It’s worth remembering that Ricciardo is utterly adored in the USA, and a move stateside seems like a match made in heaven. He won’t be short of offers, either.

Many former F1 drivers have extended their motorsport careers by racing elsewhere - and at the risk of sounding condescending, they don’t have the same level of talent as Ricciardo. It’s easy to see an Indy 500 or Le Mans 24hrs trophy ending up in his trophy cabinet.