F1 News: Red Bull Chief Confirms Daniel Ricciardo Was Supposed to Replace This Driver

Alex Harrington | Oct 1, 2024

Jun 7, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; RB driver driver Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) in the pit lane during the practice session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Christian Horner, the Red Bull Racing team principal, has revealed that Daniel Ricciardo was intended to replace Sergio Perez should the need arise. Ricciardo, a veteran of 14 years in Formula One, was recently sacked by the team due to inconsistent performance. This comes after a roller-coaster season where Ricciardo's flashes of brilliance were overshadowed by periods of poor form.

Ricciardo's departure from Red Bull was driven by a series of inconsistent performances, with Horner explaining:

"I think it was the lack of consistency."

Despite moments of brilliance, such as his stellar early performance in Miami, Ricciardo struggled to maintain this form throughout the season. According to Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, the decision to potentially replace Ricciardo had been considered around the Barcelona Grand Prix.

Horner elaborated on Ricciardo's fluctuating performance at Miami:

"Miami [in early May] was a weekend of two halves. Friday and Saturday morning was fantastic, and it looked like the Daniel of old, fighting against Ferraris and out-driving the car. Then the Saturday afternoon and Sunday were disastrous."

Such erratic form made it challenging to justify keeping Ricciardo over Perez, especially as both drivers' forms wavered at different times.

"The problem was they had issues with form at varying times. Checo started the season very well, very strongly. Daniel was struggling and then as Checo lost form, Daniel found a bit of form but it was never compelling enough to say 'OK we should switch the two drivers,'" explained Horner.

Red Bull has now promoted 22-year-old New Zealand driver Liam Lawson to Ricciardo's seat for the remaining six races of the 2024 season. This decision offers Lawson the chance to demonstrate his capabilities and potentially secure a future role with the main Red Bull team.

"All the drivers are under pressure to deliver but the reason why Daniel was in that car was to get himself back into a position to ultimately be there to pick up the pieces if Checo (Perez) didn't deliver."

Horner’s intentions signal a longer-term strategy to identify the most effective driver combination alongside Max Verstappen.

"But from a broader perspective, we need answers for the bigger picture in terms of drivers. It's the perfect opportunity to line Liam up alongside Yuki [Tsunoda], to see how he performs over the remaining six grands prix."

Horner's warning to Perez serves as a reminder that his performance in the closing races will be critical for his future in the Milton Keynes squad. The team is focused on ensuring consistent performances from all its drivers to maintain competitive advantage, and this is something Perez is yet to fulfil.

The promotion of Lawson represents both an opportunity and significant pressure. His performance in the remaining 2024 races will be closely monitored and could influence the driver lineup for the 2025 season. His success, or failure, will define his future.