Liam Lawson has praised Daniel Ricciardo for how he handled the RB driver swap when discussing the situation at the Singapore Grand Prix. While it wasn’t announced during the Singapore weekend, rumblings from Red Bull were clear that Liam Lawson would replace Ricciardo from the next race.

Liam Lawson's recent revelations suggest that Red Bull kept Daniel Ricciardo in the dark despite having made their mind up to sack him

Red Bull made the difficult decision to remove Formula 1 fans' favourite Daniel Ricciardo from his VCARB race seat after last month's Singapore Grand Prix and give it to reserve Liam Lawson

Once leveraging his Red Bull connections to secure a grid return, Ricciardo's split from VCARB has put him in an uneasy predicament. With only one open slot at Sauber for 2025 and speculation that he isn't even considered for Audi's shortlist, the 35-year-old's F1 racing days seem to be drawing to a close.

"Easier return to Formula 1!" From the team's point of view, the Austin race was chosen as the time to "redeem" the penalty because Lawson's relegation in the sprint will "make it easier for him to return to Formula 1".

Ricciardo was unceremoniously sacked by Red Bull following an emotional farewell race at the Singapore Grand Prix. It was an outcome even the 35-year-old himself had been expecting after a disappointing campaign in 2024.

Liam Lawson will head to Austin with only one hour of practice to learn the track, having never driven the Circuit of The Americas before.