DANIEL RICCIARDO has been brutally SACKED by Formula One team Visa Cash App RB with immediate effect.
The F1 fan favourite broke down in tears following the Singapore Grand Prix with news of his imminent axing gaining speed.
And now Ricciardo’s exit from the motorsport for a second time has been confirmed.
The team released a statement wishing the Australian, nicknamed the “Honeybadger”, farewell.
RB’s team principal Laurent Mekies, said: “Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us.
“Daniel has been a true gentlemen both on and off the track and never without that smile.
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“He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.”
Ricciardo, 35, returned to F1 with AlphaTauri, now RB, in Hungary last year, scoring points on five occasions.
Earlier this season there was talk of Ricciardo replacing Sergio Perez as the second driver at Red Bull’s main team to partner Max Verstappen.
Though after that fell through, Ricciardo’s form has not been good enough to persuade Red Bull bosses to keep him in the seat for the rest of the season.
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He finished dead last of the runners who did not retire in his final race in Singapore on Sunday.
However, he did snatch the fastest lap of the race away from McLaren’s Lando Norris to prevent him from gaining an extra point – sparking a cheating row from McLaren chief Zak Brown.
Reacting to his exit on Instagram, Ricciardo said: “I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey.
“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.
“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.”
F1 2025 grid
Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season so far:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and TBC
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and TBC
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon
RB have wasted no time in announcing Ricciardo’s replacement on the F1 grid.
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson, who made his debut with the team last season in replacing an injured Ricciardo, will take the seat for the remainder of the 2024 season alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Mekies said: “I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the Team well.
“He drove for us last season, and coped well under difficult circumstances, so it’ll be a natural transition.
“It’s great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step.
Ricciardo’s F1 career timeline
2011 – Ricciardo made his F1 Grand Prix debut at Silverstone with Hispania before driving 10 races with HRT.
2012 – Ricciardo joined Toro Rosso for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
2014 – Ricciardo joined Red Bull to partner Sebastian Vettel.
He won his first race at the Canadian GP and took three wins and eight podiums that season to finish third in the Championship standings.
2018 – He remained at Red Bull until 2018, when tensions with teenager Max Verstappen were at their peak.
Halfway through the season, he announced he was joining Renault for the 2019 season.
2019 and 2020 – Ricciardo struggled to progress with Renault following his departure from Red Bull.
2021 – He joined McLaren for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, where he would earn his final career win with a dramatic victory at the Italian GP in 2021.
2022 – McLaren unceremoniously announced they had agreed to cancel Ricciardo’s contract a year early. He remained for the rest of the season before he was left without a seat for 2023.
2023 – Ricciardo was named as Red Bull’s reserve driver before he replaced Nyck De Vries at AlphaTauri in July.
2024 – Ricciardo was axed by RB following the Singapore GP.
“We’re looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together.”
It is unclear what the future now holds for the eight-time race winner – with wins becoming synonymous with his “shoey” celebration – though a seat on the 2025 grid appears unlikely.
Lawson, 22, is expected to be named for that seat later this season.
It means the only vacant seat left on the grid is at Sauber alongside Nico Hulkenberg – whom Ricciardo partnered at Renault.
However, it is expected that former Mercedes star Valtteri Bottas will retain his seat and drive for the team again next season.
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F1’s next race is not until the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on October 20.
Ricciardo leaves the championship sitting 14th in the standings with 12 points to his name.
🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
