In a season where high expectations met a turbulent reality, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has shed light on why Daniel Ricciardo’s return to Formula 1 has come to an abrupt end. Ricciardo, after being handed a lifeline to prove himself worthy of a potential Red Bull seat, was ultimately replaced by Liam Lawson for the remainder of 2024. According to Horner, it was Ricciardo’s lack of consistency that sealed his fate.
After 257 race starts, Ricciardo’s hopes for a Red Bull resurgence faded, as his performances failed to reach the heights required to secure a permanent seat. “I think it was the lack of consistency,” Horner bluntly stated when addressing the reasons behind Ricciardo’s exit.
The Australian driver, once hailed for his aggressive yet composed driving style, failed to deliver the level of performance needed to challenge teammate Max Verstappen or provide the consistency that Red Bull craves. “He started the season roughly,” Horner admitted, pointing to Ricciardo’s up-and-down form. Despite flashes of brilliance, such as in Miami where he momentarily showed his former self, Ricciardo couldn’t sustain his performance across a full weekend. A disastrous Saturday afternoon and Sunday wiped away any gains he made, and the trend continued.
Even as pressure mounted around the paddock and within the Red Bull camp, with figures like Helmut Marko growing increasingly frustrated, there were moments when Ricciardo fought back. Horner revealed a pivotal weekend in Montreal, sparked by a public roasting from 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve. “It definitely fired him up because the way he drove the car that weekend, he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck,” Horner said. “I even joked that we should get Jacques to call him before every race!”
But even that fire wasn’t enough to ignite a full-fledged comeback. Ricciardo had returned to Red Bull in 2023 with high hopes of rekindling his passion for racing after a dismal stint with McLaren. Horner reflected on how the driver that arrived back at Red Bull was a shadow of the man they once knew. “I didn’t recognize the Daniel at the end of his tenure at McLaren,” Horner confessed, adding that Ricciardo had “picked up some really bad habits.”
Red Bull gave Ricciardo the chance to rediscover himself, offering him a test at Silverstone—one that Horner described as a “big test” for the Aussie. Ricciardo delivered an impressive performance that earned him a seat with AlphaTauri, but his return was short-lived after a hand injury in Zandvoort sidelined him for several races. That opened the door for Liam Lawson, and the young driver’s solid performances further complicated Ricciardo’s position.
In the end, Red Bull opted for youth, with Lawson proving to be more than capable, forcing the team to take a hard look at Ricciardo’s future. “We elected to take experience over youth,” Horner explained, pointing out that Ricciardo’s role had always been as a potential backup for Sergio Perez should he fail to deliver. But with both drivers underperforming at times, the team’s patience ran out.
Ricciardo’s F1 career may have reached a bitter end, but his stint in 2024 will be remembered as a last-ditch effort that never fully materialized. With Lawson stepping up and the future uncertain for Red Bull’s driver lineup, the stage is set for a new generation of talent to emerge, while Ricciardo’s chapter in Formula 1 seems to have closed.
