Ricciardo could have been fired by Marko at the Spanish GP, reveals Horner

He had 18 Grand Prix to show what he was still capable of. 18 Grand Prix where Daniel Ricciardo absolutely had to shine, beat his teammate, score points to save his skin in F1 and hope for a promotion to the parent team, Red Bull. Alas, the Australian failed in his quest, despite some brilliant moves.

Lacking performance and consistency, often beaten by Yuki tsunoda (22 points to 12 after Singapore), the eight-time Grand Prix winner failed to convince and in true Red Bull style, was fired before the end of the season. Liam Lawson will replace him in Austin to finish the 2024 campaign.

However, in his misfortune, Daniel Ricciardo can consider himself (a little) lucky… because his Formula 1 adventure could have ended much earlier this season. Indeed, Christian Horner revealed in the F1 Nation podcast that Red Bull – via Helmut Marko, special consultant of the Austrian team – intended to part ways with him as early as… the Spanish Grand Prix, held at the end of June.

"[Ricciardo] started the season badly, then in Miami it was a weekend of two faces. Friday and Saturday morning were fantastic, and it looked like the Daniel of old, defending against the Ferrari and drove the car beyond what it could do. But Saturday afternoon and Sunday were disastrous. Then around Barcelona, ​​Helmut [Marko] didn't want him to drive the car anymore, and he was already under a lot of pressure.", said the Team Principal of the Red Bull team.

Never the right timing with Ricciardo

If Daniel Ricciardo has obtained a reprieve of a few more Grands Prix, it is notably thanks to Christian Horner who defended his driver despite his poor performances. His few brilliant moments during the season – notably in Miami and then in Canada, where he had secured a 4th place in qualifying after having been "shaken" by the heated remarks of Jacques Villeneuve – had given the British leader some hope, but this did not last long.

"I did my best to give him as much time as possible in the car so he could prove himself. Otherwise he would have been sent back after Barcelona, assures Christian Horner. All drivers are under pressure, but the reason Daniel was in that car was to reposition himself so he could take over if Checo [Pérez] wasn't up to par. The problem was that they both had form issues at various times. Checo started the season very well, very strongly, and Daniel was struggling. And then when Checo underperformed, Daniel found some form. However, it was never convincing enough to say 'OK, we should swap our two drivers' »

Lawson in the starting line-up, a real-life test for Red Bull?

Liam Lawson is therefore offered a new opportunity to prove himself aboard the VCARB-01, alongside Yuki Tsunoda. A chance granted by the Red Bull clan to test him with a view to 2025 with the key to a tenure at Racing Bulls… or even better? For Christian Horner, the next six Grands Prix will be decisive in distributing the drivers within the two teams of the Red Bull family.

“We need answers to see the bigger picture with our drivers. With six races left, it’s the perfect opportunity to put Liam [Lawson] alongside Yuki [Tsunoda] to see how he performs., believes the Briton. It goes beyond VCARB, it encompasses Red Bull Racing. Of course, we have a contract with Sergio for next year, but you always have to be aware of what comes after. And will it be Liam, or will we have to look outside our own circle? Or can one of the other juniors step up in due time, like Isack Hadjar or Arvid Lindblad?

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