Liam Lawson Reveals Key Advice From Daniel Ricciardo Ahead Of VCARB Replacement

Saajan Jogia | Oct 23, 2024

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 23: Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App RB looks on in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 23, 2024 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) /

VCARB (RB) driver Liam Lawson shared the guidance he received from Daniel Ricciardo following the announcement of his departure from the team. Lawson, who replaced Ricciardo at the recent United States Grand Prix, expressed his deep respect for the Australian driver after their conversation.

Ricciardo made his return to the Red Bull family last year, joining their junior team, AlphaTauri (now VCARB), with the aim of eventually earning a seat alongside Max Verstappen. In the meantime, his role was to help the team accumulate points and mentor the less experienced Yuki Tsunoda. However, a wrist injury sustained during the Dutch GP weekend sidelined Ricciardo for five race weekends.

Meanwhile, Lawson took full advantage of his role as a reserve driver, earning points for the team and demonstrating his racing prowess, which positioned him as a strong candidate for a permanent seat with either team. However, 2024 proved challenging for Ricciardo, as he faced ongoing inconsistencies throughout the season, frequently being outperformed by his teammate Tsunoda.

With Sergio Perez's mid-season contract extension at Red Bull, Ricciardo's aspirations of joining his dream team were effectively destroyed. As Lawson anticipated a full-time seat, the decision was made to replace Ricciardo following the Singapore Grand Prix. Despite both drivers vying for the same position, the Kiwi held a surprisingly favorable perspective of the 35-year-old veteran. He told the media:

“He's been somebody that's never made it feel like a competition.

“Over the last 12 months, he's never been somebody that I've really felt directly in competition with.

“We spoke to each other every weekend. To be honest, I spent a lot of time with him over the weekends as well, going through stuff.”

The 22-year-old rookie driver then shared the advice he received from the eight-time Grand Prix winner following his exit announcement. Ricciardo told Lawson he held no grudges and encouraged him to fully embrace his Formula 1 journey, emphasizing that "you only get one shot at F1." Lawson added:

“He's always been open with advice, and through all of the events that happened leading up to Singapore.

“Through Singapore, he also made it very clear that there was nothing against me directly.

“And in fact, when I left the end of the weekend and spoke to him, he said, ‘good luck with everything, you get one shot at F1, make sure you make the most of it’ and he wished me well.

“I have a huge amount of respect for him.”