Max Verstappen breaks silence on Daniel Ricciardo’s farewell message on Instagram

Max Verstappen shares heart touching message for his old pal Daniel Ricciardo following his VCARB F1 exit confirmation.

Max Verstappen breaks silence on Daniel Ricciardo’s farewell message on Instagram

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen (via racefans.net)

Ahead of the Singapore GP, rumors circulated about Daniel Ricciardo being replaced by Liam Lawson at Red Bull. The Honey Badger has underperformed this season, amassing only 12 points, fewer than his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. As a result, RB announced that Ricciardo would be replaced.

Yesterday, it was officially announced that Daniel Ricciardo has been replaced ahead of the Austin race. The Australian shared a heartfelt farewell message on Instagram, reflecting on his love for the sport and the joy it brought him throughout his career. Several drivers and personalities bid him farewell in the comments, including Max Verstappen.

YouTube video

The Dutchman, who shared many memorable moments with Ricciardo during their time together at Red Bull, had the last on-track friendship moment at the Singapore GP. He thanked the 35-year-old for taking one point away from Lando Norris.

FS Video

In his post, Ricciardo expressed gratitude to his teammates, teams, and everyone involved in his wild and wonderful journey. Although he didn’t want to leave, the team decided not to continue, which was disappointing for him. Max Verstappen left a heartfelt message for his old pal, encouraging him not to get upset, and assuring him that many more beautiful moments were on their way.

Head up mate! Many more beautiful moments to come

Max Verstappen wrote in Instagram comments.

Charles Leclerc breaks silence on ‘one and only’ Daniel Ricciardo’s RB axing

Liam Lawson express happiness over 2024 RB birth

Following Ricciardo’s announcement, Liam Lawson via Instagram expressed that he had dreamed of becoming an F1 driver since childhood and felt incredibly happy after the recent announcement (has driven for RB before in the 2023 season). He thanked VCARB and Red Bull for the opportunity, emphasizing his gratitude and excitement to begin working with the team. Having been a full-time reserve driver for Red Bull since 2022, he was thrilled to finally get the chance to showcase his skills once again.

Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson (via IMAGO)

I’ve dreamed of being a Formula One driver since I was a kid, and I’m very happy to say that dream is finally coming true. I want to thank VCARB and Red Bull for this opportunity, I’m extremely grateful and excited to get to work.

Liam Lawson expressed.

The remainder of the 2024 season will be completed by the New Zealander in the RB team. With six races left, including the next one in Austin, RB appears unlikely to secure any wins this year. However, the main team, Red Bull, has six opportunities to reclaim their lost lead and maintain Max Verstappen’s driver’s championship advantage.

Max Verstappen claims departing Red Bull is ‘not in his head’ amidst the 2026 Aston Martin rumors