Red Bull supremo’s classless Ricciardo takedown after axing

Red Bull supremo Helmut Marko brutally declared Daniel Ricciardo was kicked out of his RB seat because he lost his “killer instinct”.
After a week of speculation, RB on Friday morning (AEST) finally confirmed Ricciardo would be replaced by Kiwi ace Liam Lawson effective immediately.
At the peak of his powers, the 35-year-old Aussie was able to pull off bold overtakes by braking significantly later than his rivals, while somehow still making the corner.
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“I don’t know what exactly happened, because if we knew, we would have helped him,” Marko told the German-speaking Motorsport Total.
“But the speed and, above all, this late braking, and then he goes left or right … in these last few years he tried but it was no longer there, the killer instinct was gone.
Ricciardo and Red Bull supremo Helmut Marko in the Miami paddock. Formula 1 via Getty Images
“I think it was clearly communicated that he has to be significantly better than Yuki Tsunoda, and he only managed that in a few races, so it was clear that this story of the prodigal son rejoining Red Bull Racing unfortunately didn’t work out.
“He said very well that he is at peace with himself and he has come to terms with the situation, and we will see what his plans for the future are.”
Red Bull came under fire for not making the announcement before the Singapore weekend to give Ricciardo the honour of a proper farewell race.
Marko said Ricciardo himself was told before the race, but didn’t reveal why the rest of the world wasn’t also informed.
Ricciardo was clearly emotional after getting out of the car in Singapore. Getty
“[The timing] was related to a variety of factors and obligations,” he said.
“He was informed, and the worthy farewell performance was, I think, the fastest lap.
“That still showed what potential he has – not continuously and not at the level that would have justified him coming to Red Bull Racing – but that was an impeccable performance.”
Lawson revealed on Friday morning he had known he would be replacing Ricciardo for a fortnight, which put him in an awkward situation in Singapore.
As reserve driver, Lawson sits in the RB garage, ready to hop in a car should something happen to either of the two drivers – as it did at the Dutch Grand Prix last season, when Ricciardo broke his hand in a practice crash, which gave Lawson his debut.
Ricciardo was the last driver to leave the Singapore paddock. Getty
While the rest of the world speculated whether or not this was it for Ricciardo, Lawson, in full knowledge it was, could do nothing but watch.
“I knew about it for the last two weeks, but until it is out there to the world, it obviously does not ever really feel set in stone,” he told the Auckland-based Newstalk ZB.
“Honestly, Singapore was definitely not an enjoyable weekend for for me. Obviously we all knew what was coming.
“Daniel has always been very good to me. When I drove last year and then even this season, I’ve never felt in competition with him or anything like that. He never made it feel like that, so it wasn’t a nice feeling.
“But this for me, I get one shot at F1 and it’s come now. I’m obviously grateful for that opportunity, but I now need to take it with both hands. He said the same thing to me – you need to make the most of it.”
Liam Lawson during his stint covering for Ricciardo in 2023. Getty
Lawson confirmed the long-held belief a contract clause would trigger if he didn’t sign a race contract by the end of September.
Although he is expected to be in the seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda next year, Lawson said he is only formally contracted for these six races.
“I’ve basically got to the end of the season, and then I’ll find out more. At this stage, it’s the six races plus the three sprints,” he said.
“I need to perform basically. I need to try and show my worth in F1 and do a similar job to what I did last year.
“That’s what’s given me the job now – what happened last year. So I just need to do enough to stay in the seat next year.”
A sprint weekend, Lawson will be forced to hit the ground running in Austin. He will have just one free practice session on the Friday morning, before going straight into qualifying for Saturday morning’s sprint race. From there, it’s into qualifying for Sunday’s (Monday morning AEDT) race.