Daniel Ricciardo Was Fired From Red Bull and Immediately Replaced by Liam Lawson — Why?

Australian motorsports driver Daniel Ricciardo has certainly had a remarkable run (or drive, for a better choice of words) in the Grand Prix, securing eight wins and 1,329 points in his career, according to Formula 1's official website. However, his time with Red Bull Racing came to an abrupt end in September 2024. Needless to say, fans were not pleased with his departure, with many taking to Instagram to praise him for his outstanding performances while criticizing the decision to let him go.

According to Formula 1, Daniel has been immediately replaced by New Zealander Liam Lawson, who stepped in for him in 2023 after he broke his hand at the Dutch Grand Prix. However, Liam has reportedly served as a reserve driver for Red Bull since 2022, so he’s a familiar face. But why was Daniel dropped from Red Bull? We may have uncovered the answer.

With no signs of a falling out between Daniel and Red Bull, the only plausible reason for his departure seems to be his performance or lack thereof. According to Formula 1, "His form hasn’t been enough to convince the Red Bull family to keep him on." Therefore, the race with Red Bull in Singapore in September 2024, where he placed 18th despite having the fastest lap, marked the end of his time with the team.

Following the news of his exit, Daniel took to Instagram to comment on the matter, writing, "I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey." His message continued, "To the teams and individuals that have played their part, thank you. To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than me haha thank you." He ended with, "It’ll always have its highs and lows but it’s been fun and truth be told I wouldn’t change it. Until the next adventure."

For now, it’s unclear where Daniel will go from here, but he doesn’t seem bitter about the exit. In fact, he appears more optimistic about his experience and time in racing so far.

Daniel joined the Red Bull Racing team in 2014, the same year he secured his first Formula 1 win at the Canadian Grand Prix. Two years later, he added another victory to his portfolio with a win at the Malaysian Grand Prix. He also claimed wins in Hungary and Belgium during his career.

While at Red Bull, Daniel scored additional victories, including in Azerbaijan (2017), and a year later, wins in Monaco and China.

In 2019, however, Daniel left Red Bull to join Renault F1 and later moved to McLaren in 2021. With the 2022 season reportedly not going as well as he had hoped, Daniel wasn’t chosen for a seat at the start of 2023. He was later selected as a replacement driver for AlphaTauri, a team owned by Red Bull.

Daniel continued racing for Red Bull until September 2024, when he was replaced by Liam, who is set to compete in the season’s remaining six races.