Rumours surrounding Daniel Ricciardo’s seat at Visa Cash App RB have escalated, with reports, including Ralf Schumacher, seemingly confirming the Singapore Grand Prix to be Ricciardo’s last race. This suggests that the Australian driver may be replaced by Liam Lawson after this weekend’s event. Despite Ricciardo’s return to Formula 1 in 2023 at the Hungarian GP, following a challenging period in the sport at McLaren, speculation about his future continues to grow.
Ricciardo himself addressed the rumours on Thursday, saying, “crazier things have happened in the sport,” but he notably did not rule out the possibility that this might be his last race.
If the rumours prove true, New Zealander Liam Lawson could be stepping into Ricciardo’s seat from the United States Grand Prix onwards. Lawson has prior experience driving for the team—then called AlphaTauri—last season, when he replaced Ricciardo for five races after the Australian sustained an injury at the Dutch Grand Prix. A contractual clause in Lawson’s deal may also be playing a role in this potential decision, with Red Bull reportedly facing the risk of losing the young driver if they do not promote him soon.
If Ricciardo is replaced, the Singapore Grand Prix will mark his 257th race in Formula 1. With grid spaces for the 2025 season already filling up, speculation is rife about whether this could be his last F1 race entirely.
Speaking to Sky Germany, Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s senior advisor, addressed the situation but remained non-committal about Ricciardo’s future.
“We’ll make the decision after Singapore. Ralf Schumacher has already almost declared himself as our press spokesperson, but I can’t confirm anything officially yet. The decision will be announced after Singapore.”
When asked if there was any guarantee that Ricciardo would stay on, Marko added, “There are no guarantees in Formula 1—performance is usually the deciding factor, though other things can come into play.”
Marko’s comments echo the sentiment shared by Peter Bayer, CEO of Visa Cash App RB, who confirmed that discussions regarding driver line-ups are still ongoing.
“We’ve had various deadlines and discussions throughout the year. Initially, we considered making a final decision during the summer break, discussing driver choices for 2025.
“However, we tried to buy more time for both teams. It’s a major decision—strategic decisions on who will drive where. Singapore is another milestone, and after Singapore, we’ll have the final discussions to determine our line-up for 2025 and other options.”
Bayer also highlighted that there are no specific performance indicators that Ricciardo must meet but acknowledged that his overall contribution to the team will be considered when making the final decision.
“There are no defined KPIs, no set performance indicators. As a team, our main goal is to develop young drivers.
“Yuki Tsunoda is nearing the peak of his potential, and Daniel has been a huge help with that. That’s one reason we were glad to have Daniel in the car—his experience with set-ups has been invaluable. And of course, we also expected him to deliver performance, which is essential for earning points for the team.
“Sometimes he’s found it difficult, other times easier. This all plays into the overall assessment. He’ll certainly be compared to Liam Lawson, who had a strong race here last year and left a positive impression on us at this track.”
When pressed on what Ricciardo needs to do to keep his seat, Bayer remarked, “For us, it’s not about individual weekends; it’s about the overall picture.
“There has been much discussion about what happens at Red Bull Racing and how they move forward. But we’re primarily focusing on performance this weekend. If Daniel delivers a great result, it will definitely help him globally. As he mentioned himself, if you’re on the podium, you’re the hottest property in the paddock.”
Ricciardo’s future remains in limbo, and it appears that the Singapore Grand Prix will be a decisive moment for his career. Whether he stays on for the remainder of the 2024 season or Liam Lawson takes his seat, the final decision will come down to discussions after the weekend’s race.
