Components 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was dismissed Thursday by the Pink Bull Racing junior crew successfully instantly, ending his second stint within the sport with an uncommon midseason departure.
It’s unclear what the long run holds for Ricciardo, a beloved Australian driver who’s an eight-time race winner over 14 years within the sport. He has turn out to be a celeb amongst American F1 followers due to his frequent appearances on Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” collection.
Ricciardo, 35, doesn’t have a seat on the F1 grid subsequent season, and it’s not clear that he’ll discover one at this late stage, as most groups have already finalized their lineups for 2025. His stat sheet in F1 contains three pole positions and 32 podiums.
“I’ve beloved this sport my complete life. It’s wild and fantastic and been a journey,” Ricciardo mentioned a farewell message to his 9.3 million followers on Instagram.
“To the groups and people which have performed their half, thanks,” he wrote. “To the followers who love the game generally greater than me haha thanks. It’ll all the time have its highs and lows nevertheless it’s been enjoyable and fact be instructed I wouldn’t change it. Till the following journey.”
The Pink Bull junior crew, Visa Money App RB, mentioned reserve driver Liam Lawson will take his seat for the final six races of the 2024 season, which embrace two within the U.S. — one in Austin, Texas, in October and the opposite in Las Vegas in November.
RB crew principal Laurent Mekies thanked Ricciardo, 35, “for his arduous work throughout the final two seasons with us.”
“He has introduced quite a lot of expertise and expertise to the Group with a improbable angle, which has helped everybody to develop and foster a good crew spirit,” Mekies mentioned in a press release. “Daniel has been a real gentleman each on and off the monitor and by no means with out that smile. He can be missed, however will all the time maintain a particular place inside the Pink Bull household.”
A Pink Bull spokesperson declined to remark when requested concerning the cause for the midseason swap and whether or not the crew was on a deadline to resolve his future.
“We don’t focus on driver contracts publicly,” the spokesperson mentioned.
The once-dominant Pink Bull faces contemporary struggles within the 2024 championship, together with tough questions on its future. It has already been overtaken within the constructors’ title standings by McLaren, which has considerably improved its automobile through the season. And Pink Bull’s triple world champion, Max Verstappen, has seen his lead within the driver’s championship diminished by McLaren’s Lando Norris. The RB crew is understood for auditioning potential candidates to advertise to the senior Pink Bull crew.
Ricciardo started driving for the Pink Bull junior crew in 2011 earlier than he acquired promoted to the senior crew in 2014. He rapidly proved himself as a proficient driver with a knack for daring overtakes, and a few commentators even dubbed him a future world champion.
However in 2018, amid rigidity with the up-and-coming Verstappen, Ricciardo made a fateful resolution to go away Pink Bull. His profession hasn’t been the identical since then, other than his scoring one spectacular and unlikely victory with McLaren in 2021. The crew axed him the following yr as he struggled behind the wheel. Ricciardo returned to the Pink Bull household final yr as a reserve driver and acquired one other likelihood with the junior crew, with some hoping he would return to kind and race alongside Verstappen. It wasn’t to be.
Ricciardo appeared emotional after he completed final weekend’s race in Singapore, with rumors swirling about his attainable substitute.
“Lots of feelings, as a result of, look, I’m conscious it may very well be it,” he mentioned in a post-race interview, saying he felt “a flood of many feelings and emotions” after he crossed the end line.
Mekies welcomed Lawson, who has impressed leaders of the Pink Bull crew whereas often subbing in for one among its drivers.
“I’d additionally wish to take this chance to welcome Liam. He already is aware of the Group properly,” he mentioned. “He drove for us final season, and coped properly underneath tough circumstances, so it’ll be a pure transition. It’s nice to see younger expertise from inside the Pink Bull household make the following step. We’re wanting ahead to getting our heads down and specializing in the remainder of the season collectively.”