“It was never a topic”: Red Bull never considered Daniel Ricciardo as a replacement after Liam Lawson’s exit

Two rounds into the 2025 season, Red Bull has already pulled the trigger on a major lineup change, demoting Liam Lawson in response to a disastrous start. The decision has placed Yuki Tsunoda alongside Max Verstappen, making him the fifth driver to partner the reigning world champion since 2019. Given Red Bull’s ongoing struggles to find a stable second driver, speculation naturally turned to Daniel Ricciardo, the last teammate to truly challenge Verstappen during their time together. However, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has shut down any suggestion that Ricciardo was in contention, making it clear that the Australian’s Formula 1 career is well and truly over.

Liam Lawson’s abrupt demotion is the latest chapter in Red Bull’s relentless search for a reliable number two driver, a position that has become notorious for breaking even the most talented racers. The team had even given Ricciardo a second chance in mid-2023, slotting him into their sister squad (now Racing Bulls) in hopes that he could rediscover the form that once made him a race winner. However, after failing to deliver the performances needed to force his way back into the senior team, Ricciardo was dropped with six races remaining in 2024.
Despite his past success and experience, Marko confirmed that Red Bull never considered calling Ricciardo back.

“No, that was never considered,” Marko told Motorsport.com. “Daniel had his last race and has since completely distanced himself from Formula 1. He was briefly in Australia [for the Grand Prix], yes, but I think he left again on Thursday. It was never a topic.”
Ricciardo himself had already come to terms with his F1 exit following his last race in Singapore, admitting that missing out on a Red Bull return signaled the end of his motivation to stay in the sport.
“I always said I don’t want to be a guy who’s just here on the grid and fighting for a point every now and then, which has kinda been how this year’s gone,” Ricciardo reflected. “Obviously this year the purpose was to try and do good enough to get back into Red Bull and fight for wins again, see if I’ve still got it.”
He acknowledged that falling short of that goal forced him to reassess his future.
“I’ve been a young driver as well, and at some point, I don’t just want to take up space. But for me, if I’m not able to fight at the front with Red Bull, I have to ask myself what am I staying on the grid for? That’s something I’ve also come to peace with.”
Also Read: Mick Schumacher eyes F1 comeback with Cadillac’s 2026 entry
With Ricciardo out of the equation and Lawson swiftly cast aside, Red Bull has turned to Tsunoda to fill the ever-challenging second seat. Whether the Japanese driver can finally bring stability to the role remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the Ricciardo-Red Bull reunion fans had dreamed of is officially off the table, with both sides having moved on from the idea entirely.