EXCLUSIVE: F1 star issues Ricciardo REPLACEMENT details in driver debut admission

Formula 1 trainer Matt Tait has revealed the moment he knew Daniel Ricciardo was going to be replaced by Liam Lawson in a frank admission.

The Australian driver was axed from F1 in 2024 following a disappointing season, and replaced after the Singapore Grand Prix by Lawson.

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However, this was not the first time that Lawson had replaced Ricciardo, with the Kiwi also stepping in for the 35-year-old in 2023 after his crash at the Dutch GP.

Lawson ended up completing five races for AlphaTauri - now Racing Bulls - as Ricciardo recovered from a broken hand, and notably secured a points finish in Singapore during this period.

Click here to purchase the relaxed McLaren graphic tee, featuring Ricciardo's signature driver number, '3'.

Details behind Ricciardo replacement revealed

Ahead of the 2025 season, Lawson was announced as Sergio Perez’s replacement at Red Bull, and will emulate Ricciardo by teaming up with four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

Speaking exclusively with Jim Kimberley on behalf of GPFans, Lawson’s trainer Tait revealed the details behind Lawson’s first call-up to F1, and the minute he knew Ricciardo would not be able to compete.

"I saw Ricciardo's accident, and I saw the way he was holding it, and I instantly said to my wife, I was like, 'He's done. He's not driving. There's no way he can drive, not the way he's holding that'," Tait revealed.

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"And I just texted Liam straight away, I was like, 'Are you in?', And he just sent back, 'Maybe, hold fire.' So, we were just like okay, and obviously, I have lots of things on, like with my kids, and my job, and all the other bits and pieces, and my instant reaction was, 'Do you need me? Do you want me?' And he just replied, he goes, 'I will call you in an hour.'

"It was like he wasn't sure; he was just a bit like, 'Is it gonna happen? Is it not?', and then, he got told, and it was just like, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. So many things going on.

“He messaged me whilst he was sat with the engineers; he was like, 'This person's going to call you from AlphaTauri. Are you okay to come?', and I just, I didn't even check with my wife. I'm there."

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