Ugly Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull detail emerges as Liam Lawson prepares for Texas Grand Prix
Ricciardo's successor Lawson revealed he was basically promised a seat in the team last year.
Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull successor Liam Lawson has revealed he has known since last year that there was a good chance he would take the Aussie's place in the F1 team. Lawson filled in admirably for an injured Ricciardo for five races last season and he will get another crack in the Visa Cash App Red Bull seat (VCARB) when the F1 season resumes this weekend at the United States Grand Prix in Texas.
Ricciardo was unceremoniously sacked by Red Bull following an emotional farewell race at the Singapore Grand Prix. It was an outcome even the 35-year-old himself had been expecting after a disappointing campaign in 2024. His replacement, Lawson, is just the 10th New Zealander to drive in F1 and while he hasn’t yet been guaranteed the full-time 2025, it is expected he will retain the role for next year with a strong finish to the season.
Speaking ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Lawson said he is ready to take his opportunity but admitted he knew it was coming, having been promised a go at some time this season last year. "I knew it was temporary last year. That was about trying to give myself a shot full-time at getting a seat. And now I’ve got it." Lawson told the F1 Nation podcast.
"The idea of me jumping in is something that Christian told me a year ago. And when I stepped out of the car, that was one of the things he said to me is that, he said, ‘I give you my word, I’ll basically have you in a race seat at some point next year’. So I always knew that was the intention. And it’d been talked about.
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“But I mean, Formula One is a rollercoaster and every weekend things change. So one minute it looks really good and then it doesn’t look good. And it’s all depending on how the guys are actually going. And it’s a bit horrible to be honest because you’re kind of sitting there wondering what your chances are of driving it, and it completely depends on how the guys that are currently driving are doing. And you don’t obviously want somebody’s downfall to be your way in.
“But if it’s for me to drive, somebody has to leave, obviously. So there was no clear route of where that was going to be though. So it wasn’t like, in 12 months, you’re going to switch with this person. It was in 12 months, ‘we’re going to have you a seat, but we just don’t know where yet’."
Liam Lawson says replacing Daniel Ricciardo was awkward
Lawson recently spoke about the awkwardness of being told he was replacing Ricciardo a couple of weeks before the Aussie was informed he was out of a seat. And the Kiwi said it wasn't easy given he has always shared a good relationship with Ricciardo, who has done a lot for him.
"I respect massively how he dealt with it," Lawson previously told Sky Sports. "He’s never made it feel like we were in competition since last year when I jumped in after his wrist.
"He’s always been good to me, in more ways than what most people will know, even just little things within the team. It wasn’t a great feeling in Singapore. When I left the track on Sunday, I went and saw him and I said, ‘I’m sorry for this whole situation because I know it sucks and it’s nothing against you’."
