Why Daniel Ricciardo has been replaced as F1 career ended by unique clause despite breaking Lewis Hamilton record
Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 career is all but over with RB set to confirm Liam Lawson has replaced him for the rest of the season.
The popular Australian and eight-time Grand Prix winner fought back tears after what is likely to be his final race in Singapore on Sunday.
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The ‘Drive to Survive’ fan-favourite finished only 18th for Red Bull-owned RB and was even lapped by race-winner Lando Norris.
However, Ricciardo got revenge on his former McLaren teammate by taking away his extra point for setting the fastest lap of the race.
In doing so, the 35-year-old ensured that another of his old teammates, Max Verstappen, could finish second to Norris in all remaining events (Grands Prix and Sprints) and win the Drivers’ Championship regardless of having to get fastest lap bonus points.
Ricciardo didn’t just leave his mark on the 2024 standings – he’s also made his mark in the history books of the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
His likely final turn around an F1 circuit was clocked at 1:34.486 at an average speed of 188.218 kph – a time that is now a new lap record.
It beats Lewis Hamilton’s previous time from 2023 (1:35.867) by over a full second, following the Singapore GP’s rebranded layout last year.
A day later, and his team are set to confirm he’s been replaced by New Zealand racer Lawson for the rest of the season and beyond.
Why has Ricciardo been replaced now?
RB’s position as a sister team for Red Bull’s junior drivers meant veteran Ricciardo was unlikely to be retained for their 2025 line-up.
The decision to make such a drastic change before the end of the 2024 season is less about his actual performances.
Instead, Red Bull reserve driver Lawson is said to have had a clause in his contract that forced RB into action.
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The 22-year-old subbed in for Ricciardo last year after a wrist injury and impressed in his five-race stint, scoring two points in Singapore.
Lawson was left without a drive this year but revealed during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT that he could be forced to consider his options elsewhere if a move at Red Bull continued to be blocked.
As part of his contract, Red Bull were reportedly bound to find him a race seat for next season by a certain date or he would be released.
Although that date hasn’t been revealed, it was likely to have been in the days ahead of the Singapore GP.
F1 are currently on an unusual autumnal break, with the four-week gap in the schedule giving Lawson ample time to prepare for his first race back in Austin.
Ricciardo, meanwhile, only returned to Red Bull in a supporting role for 2023 after his contract with McLaren was torn up.
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His first stint under Christian Horner between 2014 and 2018 saw him win seven of his eight F1 career races.
‘The Honey Badger’ was offered a seat with RB for the past two seasons with the hopes of replacing the underperforming Sergio Perez alongside Verstappen.
Perez then surprisingly signed a new two-year contract to stay with the current champions to leave the writing on the wall for Ricciardo.
