Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is adamant that the team “never considered” approaching Daniel Ricciardo about a possible Formula 1 return to replace Liam Lawson.
Earlier this week, Red Bull announced that Lawson’s stint with the senior team had been cut short two rounds into 2025 amid a disastrous beginning to the campaign.
Lawson’s demotion has seen Yuki Tsunoda become the fifth driver to partner Max Verstappen since 2019 in a spot that has become renowned as a poisoned chalice.
Red Bull’s strive to resolve the team’s ongoing second driver conundrum had even extended to granting Ricciardo a reprieve with the group’s sister squad in mid-2023.
However, the Australian was unable to produce the results to inspire a dream avenue back to Red Bull, prompting him to be dropped with six rounds to go last season.
But with Ricciardo remaining the most competitive team-mate Verstappen has had, Marko was asked whether Red Bull had contemplated getting in contact with him.
“No, that was never considered,” Marko, who allegedly wanted to curtail Ricciardo’s comeback with Racing Bulls even earlier in 2024, retorted to 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 indicated F1 career was done
Ricciardo had indicated once the curtain came down on his last race in Singapore that his failure to reunite with Verstappen at Red Bull had spelt an end to his career.
“I think [I] acknowledge also why I came back into the sport, sometimes you see the big picture,” Ricciardo told media including Motorsport Week at the time.
“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.
“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.
“I felt like I came up short with that, so I think it’s then, ‘ok what else am I fighting for here, what else is going to give me fulfilment’.
“I’ve been a young driver as well and at some point I don’t just want to take up space also, obviously you have to be selfish.
“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.”
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