Daniel Ricciardo loses his place in Formula 1 as Red Bull carries out a mid-season restructuring

“Thanks to the teams and individuals who played their part,” he wrote. “Thanks to the fans who sometimes love the sport more than I do haha. There will always be ups and downs but it was fun and honestly I wouldn’t change a thing. Until the next adventure.”

Red Bull junior team Visa Cash App RB announced that reserve driver Liam Lawson will take his place for the final six races of the 2024 season, including two in the United States – one in October in Austin, Texas, and another in November in Las Vegas.

RB team boss Laurent Mekies thanked the 35-year-old Ricciardo “for his hard work over the last two seasons with us”.

“He brought a wealth of experience and talent to the team and had a fantastic attitude that helped everyone develop and foster a strong team spirit,” Mekies said in a statement. “Daniel was a true gentleman both on and off the track and always had a smile on his face. He will be missed but he will always hold a special place in the Red Bull family.”

A Red Bull spokesman declined to comment to NBC News on the reason for the mid-season move or whether the team had to make a decision on Lawson’s future by a deadline.

“We do not discuss driver contracts publicly,” the spokesman said.

The move comes as the once-dominant Red Bull faces new difficulties and difficult questions about its future in the 2024 championship. It has already been overtaken in the Constructors’ Championship by McLaren, which has significantly improved its car over the course of the season. And Red Bull’s three-time world champion Max Verstappen has seen his lead in the Drivers’ Championship reduced by McLaren’s Lando Norris. The RB team is known for auditioning potential candidates for promotion to Red Bull’s top team.

Ricciardo began driving for Red Bull’s junior team in 2011 before moving up to the senior team in 2014. He quickly proved himself to be a talented driver with a knack for daring overtaking maneuvers, with some commentators even calling him a future world champion.

But in 2018, amid tensions with the up-and-coming Verstappen, Ricciardo made the fateful decision to leave Red Bull. His career has not been the same since, save for an impressive and improbable win with McLaren in 2021. The following year, he was fired by the team as he struggled behind the wheel. Ricciardo returned to the Red Bull family as a reserve driver in 2023 and was given another chance with the junior team, with some hoping he would find his form and drive alongside Verstappen. It was not to be.

Ricciardo appeared emotional after retiring from the race in Singapore last weekend amid rumors of his possible replacement.

“A lot of emotions, because look, I’m aware that it could be that,” he said in a post-race interview, saying he felt “a flood of many emotions and feelings” after crossing the finish line.

Mekies welcomed Lawson, who had impressed Red Bull team executives by occasionally stepping in for one of their drivers.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the team well,” he said. “He drove for us last season and did well in difficult circumstances, so it will be a natural transition. It’s great to see young talent from the Red Bull family taking the next step. We look forward to sitting down and focusing on the rest of the season together.”