Daniel Ricciardo F1 return solution suggested after Red Bull axe
VCARB driver Daniel Ricciardo had been hoping to reclaim his old Red Bull seat
Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard explained that, if he was among those to represent Daniel Ricciardo, he would have him at the remaining US races this season, due to it being “such a great platform” for him individually.
Ricciardo was replaced at VCARB by Liam Lawson ahead of the United States Grand Prix by Liam Lawson, but no indication has yet been made as to the Australian’s future plans – be it in motorsport or outside.
Potential Daniel Ricciardo paddock return solution suggested by David Coulthard
Ricciardo has been one of the sport’s most marketable drivers since Formula 1’s popularity has risen Stateside, and Coulthard suggested he potentially uses that to his advantage through other work now that he is no longer on the grid.
In terms of an on-track decision, though, former Formula 1 team principal Eddie Jordan believes Red Bull made the right call in replacing Ricciardo with Lawson for the final six races of 2024.
“Daniel has had his chance, one of the nicest people you will ever come across in Formula 1,” Jordan said on the Formula For Success podcast.
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“That smile is infectious, that ambience, the whole makeup of Daniel Ricciardo is a wonderful, beautiful story, but nevertheless, you have to perform.
“There are so many unbelievably quick drivers coming through and that’s something that I love, and that’s what I’ve been encouraging for years and years – give the young kids a chance. So, let’s see what will happen, Liam Lawson is the right decision.”
Following on from co-host Jordan, former Red Bull driver Coulthard is looking forward to seeing what Ricciardo does next, explaining that, in his management’s position, he would place the Australian out in America in the coming months, given how popular he is in that market.
“Well, we wish him luck, and it’ll be interesting to see,” said the Scot.
“We haven’t really heard anything, any announcement from Daniel’s camp to know what he’ll be doing. But certainly, if I was them, I would have Daniel either in Austin or any of the American races, because it’s such a great platform for him as an individual.
“But he’s got great personality, he’s got a voice, and it’ll be interesting to see if it actually gets deployed with any of the stations, or with Formula 1 itself, but we shall see.”
Read next: Liam Lawson responds to Christian Horner ‘soft landing’ engine penalty claim for US GP
