Liam Lawson ‘fits in better’ as clear ‘trend’ spotted amid Daniel Ricciardo F1 axe

Liam Lawson “fits in better” with Red Bull’s VCARB philosophy compared to Daniel Ricciardo, with young drivers fashionable again in F1.

That is the opinion of ex-F1 driver Patrick Friesacher – Red Bull’s first junior driver – after the post-Singapore GP announcement arrived that Ricciardo was out at Red Bull junior team VCARB, with reserve Liam Lawson promoted for the final six rounds of F1 2024 in Ricciardo’s place.

Liam Lawson branded better ‘fit’ than Daniel Ricciardo at VCARB

Traditionally, Red Bull used its second Formula 1 team as a training ground to create drivers ready for the senior squad, this a system which Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko revealed shareholders were keen to return to.

And with this in mind, 22-year-old Lawson is the more suitable driver to partner Yuki Tsunoda at VCARB, Friesacher believes.

“It’s a great pity that the Singapore Grand Prix was Daniel’s last F1 race,” Friesacher wrote for Speedweek . “He is a great guy. He’s a likeable guy who goes down well with everyone with his easy-going manner.

“But Racing Bulls follows the philosophy of a junior team, which aims to train talented youngsters for higher tasks at Red Bull Racing. In this respect, Liam Lawson fits in better. He is an up-and-coming talent and was already in the cockpit last year when Daniel was out injured. Liam put in a great performance.”

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While in recent times there had been criticism over a lack of opportunities in Formula 1 for rookie drivers, that situation has swung the other way, with Oliver Bearman impressing in his F1 debut with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia and Haas super-sub appearance in Baku, while Franco Colapinto has shone at Williams since stepping up from Formula 2 to replace Logan Sargeant.

Bearman will become a full-time Haas driver in F1 2025, while his current Prema F2 team-mate Kimi Antonelli has been named as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes replacement for next season, as the seven-time World Champion prepares to join Ferrari.

And with Red Bull deciding that now is the time to give Lawson his time to shine – he will hope – at VCARB, the opportunities for rookie drivers are suddenly plentiful.

“If you look at Formula 1 at the moment, one trend is clearly visible: the young drivers are ready!” Friesacher continued.

“You only have to look at how Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto are doing. Franco in particular has really surprised me. He consistently drives at almost the same level as Alex Albon, who has been in Formula 1 for a long time and is a really fast driver. In qualifying on the difficult street circuit in Singapore, he was only seven thousandths behind his team-mate. Hats off!”

Lawson is bidding to make himself a part of Red Bull’s F1 2025 plans, with potential openings at both teams.

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