Red Bull F1 2025 hopeful Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that he is increasingly motivated by inspiring the next generation of drivers as he enters the twilight of his F1 career.
It comes amid mounting rumours that the veteran Australian could be replaced by New Zealand starlet Liam Lawson at junior team VCARB for next season – and potentially before the end of the current campaign.
Daniel Ricciardo set to be replaced by Liam Lawson at Red Bull VCARB?
Having tied Yuki Tsunoda to a new contract in June, VCARB remain one of the few teams yet to finalise their F1 2025 driver lineup with Ricciardo and Lawson, Red Bull’s highly rated reserve, in contention for the second seat.
Lawson’s prospects received a boost in June when long-serving Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko revealed the company’s shareholders are keen to see VCARB return to its Toro Rosso roots as a team to train young drivers.
Marko doubled down on his stance last month by insisting that Lawson, 22, “will definitely be in one of our cars next year.”
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PlanetF1.com understands that a clause in Lawson’s contract will allow him to cut ties with Red Bull entirely if he is not promoted to a permanent seat for next season, with Red Bull’s option on the youngster believed to expire this month.
Marko confirmed at last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix that a decision on the second VCARB seat will be communicated during the four-week break between the next two races in Singapore and the United States.
Ricciardo, who claimed all but one of his eight career victories in a five-year spell with Red Bull between 2014 and 2018, has largely struggled since his return to F1 in mid-2023, scoring points just four times in 25 starts.
The 35-year-old recently told media including PlanetF1.com that he is “all in” on remaining within the Red Bull framework for F1 2025 and has no interest in seeking opportunities elsewhere.
In an interview with US-based television station CNN, Ricciardo reiterated that he doesn’t “wanting to be moving around too much” at this stage of his career.
And he revealed that he is increasingly keen to help the next generation of drivers to make it into F1.
He said: “As a kid I had the dream to be a Formula 1 driver, but I didn’t necessarily think it would happen. Nobody had done it from Western Australia, from my state.
“At the start of the season I was not reaching my goals or reaching my potential, but managed to start turning that around.
“We have quite a new team and definitely with that comes new targets and new opportunities and, for me, it’s obviously to contribute, to help the team.
“I’d say, at this point, I’m probably looking a bit more for that stability and just trying to set something down for these last few years of my career. I don’t really want to be moving around too much anymore!
“Something I realise the older I get is that I do have that platform or ability, perhaps, to inspire someone else who was just like me at five, six, 10 years ago. I’d love to give a kid something to aim for.
“If it ended today, I would be proud of what I’ve done but, on the same note, you’re never fully satisfied because the reason I got into Formula 1 was to try and become World Champion.
“That’s something I’ll obviously still try and achieve until the day I retire.”
Ricciardo’s comments come amid rumours that he could be replaced by Lawson following this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Marko has persistently outlined his desire for Lawson to race in some grands prix in F1 2024 ahead of a full-time promotion next season, raising the possibility that the Kiwi could race for VCARB when the season resumes in Austin next month.
Asked at the recent Italian Grand Prix if he is certain to see out the current season, Ricciardo told media including PlanetF1.com: ““Yeah. I mean, look, I say yes. [But] I’ve been in this long enough now, who knows?”
If he is replaced by Lawson, it is unclear if Ricciardo would still be considered as a candidate to replace under-pressure Sergio Perez at Red Bull for F1 2025.
Perez came close to being dropped by Red Bull ahead of the summer break, before team principal Christian Horner confirmed that the Mexican driver would be retained entering the second half of F1 2024.
The 34-year-old’s form has tentatively improved since the season resumed, following up a sixth-place finish at Zandvoort with eighth a week later at Monza.
Perez had been on course for his first podium finish since April in Baku, where he qualified ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen, before a dramatic crash with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in the closing laps.
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