Insider reveals Red Bull Driver plans following Ricciardo’s exit – Red Bull Racing and its junior team, the Racing Bulls, recently caused a stir in the Formula One paddock with their decision to part ways with Daniel Ricciardo midway through the season. Contrary to popular belief, the move was not due to the Australian’s poor performance.
Team insiders have made it clear that when the car suits his driving style, Ricciardo still possesses the raw speed and racing ability he’s known for – as evidenced by his impressive performance in the Miami Sprint earlier this year.
Instead, Red Bull’s decision to swap Ricciardo for young New Zealander Liam Lawson is part of a wider, long-term strategy aimed at securing their driver line-up for the future, particularly as they look ahead to the 2026 season.
Audition for 2026 begins
Ricciardo’s return to the Racing Bulls was always seen as an audition for a potential spot on Red Bull’s main squad. With Sergio Perez facing challenges in the second half of the 2023 season, Red Bull were considering their options.
Had Ricciardo been able to replicate the form he showed in the post-British Grand Prix test at Silverstone in 2022, he would have been a strong candidate for a seat alongside Max Verstappen.
However, Ricciardo’s comeback didn’t go as planned. A wrist injury sustained at Zandvoort sidelined him, giving Lawson the opportunity to step up and showcase his talent over five races. Meanwhile, Perez continued to struggle throughout the 2024 season, but Ricciardo’s own inconsistent performances left Red Bull management unconvinced that he was the right long-term choice.
There was a moment during the Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix when Ricciardo appeared to be back in contention for a Red Bull seat as the team’s patience with Perez wore thin. But when Red Bull finally decided to stick with Perez, the writing was on the wall for Ricciardo.
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Red Bull’s 2026 dilemma: a two-driver problem?
Looking ahead to 2026, Red Bull face a significant challenge with their driver line-up. Max Verstappen, their reigning champion and dominant force, is under contract until 2028. However, F1 will enter a new regulatory era in 2026 and no team can be sure of retaining top talent with such a major change looming. On the other hand, Perez’s inconsistent performances over the past two seasons have left his long-term future with the team in doubt.
Red Bull are therefore hedging their bets on two fronts. Firstly, they are closely monitoring the talent pool across the grid. Christian Horner’s recent comments about their potential interest in George Russell have sent ripples through the F1 world, suggesting a willingness to look beyond their own programme if necessary.
But more importantly, Red Bull need to evaluate their own young drivers, particularly those coming through the Racing Bull ranks, and do so immediately.
With Ricciardo no longer seen as a long-term solution, Red Bull couldn’t afford to wait until 2025 to give Lawson a chance. They needed to assess his abilities now, in real race conditions, and see how he stacked up against Racing Bulls teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
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Uncertain futures for Perez and Tsunoda
Sergio Perez’s future remains uncertain and his seat is far from secure, especially for 2026. If Perez’s form does not improve significantly by the end of the current season, Red Bull will be forced to make a decision on whether to replace him. That decision, however, depends on finding a suitable replacement.
Tsunoda, who has been with Racing Bulls since 2021, has shown potential but is not seen by Red Bull as a viable replacement for Verstappen. While promoting Lawson without more race experience is risky, leaving the team in a position where they may need two new drivers – should Perez depart and Lawson fail to impress – is an even bigger gamble.
The priority for Red Bull now is to give Lawson as many races as possible to see if he is up to the challenge of F1’s top team. Time is of the essence and with Ricciardo out of the picture, the team hopes to gather enough data to decide whether Lawson needs further development or is ready for a Red Bull seat.
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Rising stars: Hadjar and Iwasa
Red Bull’s young driver programme is full of talent, and their eyes are not just on Lawson. Isack Hadjar has been making waves in Formula 2 and is positioning himself as a future star. Meanwhile, Ayumu Iwasa, who competes in Super Formula, continues to deliver podium performances.
Both drivers are pushing for a place in Formula 1, adding further pressure to Red Bull’s driver selection process.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, highlighted this wider context in a recent interview: “Ricciardo was brought back with the chance to come to Red Bull Racing if he showed the right performance with the Racing Bulls. But you have to look at it in a bigger context. We have a lot of young drivers.
“There’s Hadjar, there’s Lawson. And then there’s Iwasa, without us being able to rank them. We have to look to the future.”
Long-term vision over short-term results
The driver change for the United States Grand Prix is not about immediate results, but rather an important step in Red Bull’s long-term strategy. The team is focused on building a stable, competitive driver line-up for the new regulatory era in 2026. By making these changes now, Red Bull is accelerating its evaluation of Lawson and positioning itself to make informed decisions for the future of both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.
For Ricciardo, this marks a premature end to his F1 comeback, but Red Bull’s actions make it clear that the focus is firmly on the future.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
