dpa
Berlin
Daniel Ricciardo has been released by the Visa RB team with immediate effect which could mark the end of his long career in Formula One.
The sister team of world champions Red Bull said on Thursday that reserve driver Liam Lawson will take over for the rest of the season alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Ricciardo, 35 suggested after Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix it was probably his last race and that he had not been able to use his two years at Visa RB as a stepping stone to return to Red Bull.
Team principal Laurent Mekies said in a statement on Thursday that they “would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us.
“He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the Team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to develop and foster a tight team spirit.
“Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile. He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family,” Mekies said.
The popular Australian made his F1 debut in 2011 and claimed three pole positions and eight victories over 258 grands prix.
He was third in the championship in 2014 and 2016 while at Red Bull. He also drove for teams including Renault and McLaren.
He returned to Red Bull in 2023 as test driver before replacing Nyck de Vries at the sister team then named Alpha Tauri in mid-season.
Ricciardo was 14th in this year’s standings, 10 points behind Tsunoda in 12th. In Singapore, he placed 18th but earned the fastest lap at the end of the race.
Lawson made his F1 debut last year at the Dutch GP when Ricciardo was sidelined with a hand fracture for evetually five races, and his first race now will be the US GP in Austin on October 20.
“He already knows the team well. He drove for us last season, and coped well under difficult circumstances, so it’ll be a natural transition,” Mekies said.
“It’s great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step. We’re looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together.”
