Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team (VCARB) have announced that Daniel Ricciardo will be leaving them with immediate effect, with Kiwi racer Liam Lawson set to drive in his stead for the remainder of the 2024 season. 

Ricciardo, who was out of the grid after the 2022 F1 season, returned mid-season last year during the Hungarian Grand Prix to replace Nyck de Vries. He stayed on for this year but failed to deliver.

Ricciardo has spent 14 seasons in the sport and has eight Grand Prix wins to his name along with 32 podium finishes. Apart from VCARB, he has driven for HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, and McLaren. 

Lawson, who will be replacing the Australian, has already driven for VCARB in F1—at the Dutch Grand Prix last year as he stood in for an injured Ricciardo—and has five races under his belt. He won the NZ F1600 Championship Series in 2016/17 and finished first in the 2019 Toyota Racing Series.

For Ricciardo, this is probably the end of the road for him in F1 as there are no seats up for grabs apart from the one at Sauber/Audi, for which Valtteri Bottas is the current favourite. 

Also read: Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team Sponsors 2024

Laurent Mekies, VCARB Team Principal, commented:

“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us. He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the Team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to develop and foster a tight team spirit. Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile. He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family. I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the Team well. He drove for us last season, and coped well under difficult circumstances, so it’ll be a natural transition. It’s great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step. We’re looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together.“