Daniel Ricciardo F1 News: Red Bull 'civil war' KEY to Aussie star's future

Horner, Ricciardo, social — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Red Bull 'civil war' KEY to Ricciardo's F1 future

Daniel Ricciardo's F1 future may have been impacted by Red Bull's internal struggles

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 2 June 2024 21:57

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Red Bull’s internal ‘civil war’ may have impacted the future of Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 career, according to an F1 journalist.

Ricciardo was left without a drive for 2023 when McLaren replaced him with Oscar Piastri, with the former Red Bull man failing to match the pace of team-mate Lando Norris.

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The Aussie made a return to F1 at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, back within the Red Bull family at Alpha Tauri - now Visa Cash App RB.

However, Ricciardo’s issues have come back to haunt him this season, consistently outpaced by Yuki Tsunoda who has acquired nearly all of RB’s 2024 points.

Daniel Ricciardo returned to F1 midway through last season

Ricciardo has been outpaced by team-mate Tsunoda this season

Will Ricciardo be on the 2025 F1 grid?

Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson has been waiting in the wings for an RB drive since he replaced an injured Ricciardo for five races last season.

However, the Kiwi may begin to look elsewhere for an F1 seat, if RB decide to retain Ricciardo for next season despite the Aussie’s string of poor performances in 2024.

In a recent Q&A, the BBC reported that the fallout from Red Bull’s internal power struggle may be protecting Ricciardo’s F1 seat.

“At the moment, though, Ricciardo is protected by team principal Christian Horner, sources say, and is safe for now from being replaced by reserve Liam Lawson,” Andrew Benson wrote.

“Motorsport adviser Helmut Marko, who would probably like to promote Lawson, has lost power and influence in the internal civil war at Red Bull that was laid bare by the allegations of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour made against Horner by a female employee, which Horner denies, and which an internal investigation dismissed.

“It is not hard to imagine a Lawson and Ricciardo line-up at RB in 2025, though, if Horner does not shift his stance and Tsunoda moves elsewhere.”