VCARB boss thanks ‘true gentleman’ Daniel Ricciardo as exit confirmed

VCARB team principal Laurent Mekies thanked Daniel Ricciardo for his stint at the team, dubbing the Australian a “true gentleman” in their time together.

It has been confirmed that Ricciardo will be replaced by Liam Lawson for the remainder of the F1 2024 season, following days of speculation surrounding Ricciardo’s future with the team.

Daniel Ricciardo thanked for Red Bull contribution as VCARB departure confirmed

The ‘Honey Badger’ won seven of his eight Grands Prix as part of the Red Bull stable, returning to their sister team in 2023 to replace Nyck de Vries after a successful Pirelli tyre test at Silverstone last July.

Having suffered a hand injury at Zandvoort, however, it was Lawson who impressed in a five-race stint last season in his absence, before Ricciardo was handed the cockpit back on a full-time basis for 2024.

After initially struggling alongside team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, Ricciardo brought himself back to a more equal footing with his team-mate, but a change has been made for the remainder of the season.

He was given a guard of honour by his VCARB team members in Singapore and took longer than usual to climb out of the car after the race, wanting to “savour the moment” in the knowledge it may have been his last race.

With his exit now confirmed, his team boss took the opportunity to thank Ricciardo for his contribution.

“Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us,” Mekies said as Ricciardo’s departure was confirmed.

“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.

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“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.”

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