Daniel Ricciardo responds to Helmut Marko’s Liam Lawson promise with clear Red Bull stance

Daniel Ricciardo has responded to Helmut Marko’s promise that Liam Lawson will “definitely” be promoted by Red Bull for the F1 2025 season, revealing he is not seeking a seat elsewhere on the grid.

Lawson is increasingly likely to be promoted to a permanent seat for F1 2025, with Marko revealing earlier this year that Red Bull’s shareholders are keen to see the VCARB junior team revert to its roots as a team to train young drivers.

Daniel Ricciardo ‘all in’ on Red Bull for F1 2025

Additional reporting by Sam Cooper

Red Bull’s option to promote Lawson, who impressed in a five-race cameo while standing in for the injured Ricciardo in mid-2023, is due to expire next month, with a decision on the New Zealander’s future expected to be communicated within weeks.

With Yuki Tsunoda tied to VCARB until the end of F1 2025, Ricciardo, 35, is at risk of being replaced by Lawson having struggled to match his team-mate across the first half of F1 2024.

Ricciardo was linked with a move to Red Bull Racing prior to the summer break before the team opted to retain Sergio Perez entering the second half of the season.

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Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Ricciardo admitted that his future remains “unknown” with Lawson almost guaranteed a seat.

But he is confident that his future will take care of itself if he can sustain his recent form, which saw him score points in three of the last six races before the summer shutdown.

Asked about Marko’s comments on Lawson, Ricciardo said: “It’s OK.

“I still know that performance is my best friend and that if I do what I know I can do and capable of, then I think it puts me in a very good position to stay somewhere in the family for next year. I’ve just got to focus on that.

“Speaking of Liam, I got to see him drive the car last year and I do think he did a great job.

“I do think he is worthy of a seat on the grid, so in a way I’m happy for him. If he is guaranteed a seat next year, then I think that’s good because he is a deserving driver.

“So what does that mean for me? Probably a little bit unknown, but if I perform then I’m sure they’ll find spot for me somewhere.”

Ricciardo collected seven of his eight career victories with Red Bull in a successful five-year spell between 2014 and 2018 before spells with Renault and McLaren, returning to the team as a reserve driver at the start of 2023 before making an F1 comeback with VCARB (then AlphaTauri) in July 2023.

The Australian has insisted that he is not seeking a seat elsewhere on the grid for F1 2025, with his focus entirely on remaining within the Red Bull family.

He explained: “Just here. I’m most happy being back here.

“Speaking of performance, it’s nice not looking elsewhere or having maybe other little distractions, because I can just focus on this.

“It’s an all-in approach, but I think that approach will also get the most out of me. And if that is still not enough, then c’est la vie.

“I think that intensifies it, but also simplifies it, so I think it’s the best approach. It’s not coming from a stubborn place, but I don’t really want to be anywhere else either.

“I’m not going to say everyone’s calling me [saying]: ‘Hey, well if this doesn’t work, we’ve got something for you.’

“But I think also I’ve been quite open about not wanting to [stay within the Red Bull system]. I’ve obviously done a bit of jumping around the last few years and that, in itself, can be tiring.

“I feel like I’ve worked my way back to this place and also Red Bull has given me the opportunity to be back here, so it’s not something I just want to dismiss and say: ‘OK, well, what’s next?’

“There is no next thing for me. This is it.

“I’m appreciative of what they’ve been able to give me now and I really just want to try and make it work with them.”

Ricciardo was considered likely to return to Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen’s team-mate at the time of the summer break before the decision was made to retain Perez ahead of the final 10 races of F1 2024.

It remains to be seen whether the situation will be revisited as the second half of the season unfolds and ahead of F1 2025.

Ricciardo admitted he was aware that there was a chance to return to the senior team this month, but refused to get his hopes up.

Asked if he ever thought he would be back at Red Bull following the summer break, he added: “I didn’t rule it out.

“For sure, I don’t want to say: ‘Oh no, I never thought that.’

“I thought maybe something could happen, but I also didn’t expect it or get my hopes up.

“I was aware that maybe something changes, but let’s just do what I’m doing and if I get a call I get a call, so that was that.

“Obviously I didn’t get a call, but also that was probably where I’d mentally prepared myself more than: ‘Oh, this is it now, this is going to happen.’

“So pretty unchanged.”

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