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Oct 17, 2024

What Jenson Button has ‘heard’ about Daniel Ricciardo in Red Bull exit evaluation

Jenson Button in the paddock. Jenson Button admitted he has “never felt comfortable” at seeing Red Bull and their sister team swapping out drivers mid-season, with Daniel Ricciardo the latest to have

Jenson Button in the paddock.

Jenson Button admitted he has “never felt comfortable” at seeing Red Bull and their sister team swapping out drivers mid-season, with Daniel Ricciardo the latest to have that happen to him.

Ricciardo was replaced by Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson at VCARB following the Singapore Grand Prix, with the young New Zealander given the final six races of 2024 to impress for a place on the F1 2025 grid, and the 2009 World Champion said he has heard the ‘Honey Badger’ has “made peace” with the decision from the team.

Ricciardo’s departure represents the ninth occasion in which one of the Red Bull-affiliated teams have made a mid-season change of drivers since they arrived on the grid, with its sister VCARB (formerly Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri) offering the team a unique opportunity to have a ‘pool’ of drivers from which to choose at any opportunity.

But with Red Bull looking to evaluate Lawson and keep him on their payroll, with his contract with the team believed to have an option for him to be allowed to look elsewhere for a drive had he not been offered a place within the Red Bull stable by late this year, the decision was taken to replace Ricciardo from Austin onwards.

Lawson himself admitted to having “not a nice feeling” in Singapore knowing that he would be replacing Ricciardo from the next Grand Prix, but without the information being public, and 2009 World Champion Button added his belief that a driver should have a full season to show what they can really do – with any examples in other teams of driver swaps mid-season having been for the simple reason of needing to make a change.

In doing so, he took the time to pay tribute to Ricciardo for his achievements in Formula 1, while believing that his next move will be the one that “works for him” moving forwards.

“It’s a funny one, because there’s only one team really that brings in drivers mid-season, takes drivers out of the seat mid-season, or three races in, six races in, and that team is Red Bull and AlphaTauri [VCARB],” Button explained on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“So it’s unusual, and I’ve never seen that in my career, unless someone’s been putting it in the wall every race and it’s like, ‘You know what? We can’t afford to have you in the car.’

“So it’s a weird one. I’ve never felt comfortable with that, always I feel that a driver deserves a season to really show what he can do, because that’s what it is, right? It’s a championship, and it’s how many points you can score through that season, not just halfway through – but they’ve always done it a different way.

👉 F1 schedule: When is the next F1 race and where is it being held?

👉 All the mid-season driver swaps Red Bull have made in their F1 history

“And, to be fair, they’ve put Daniel in a few races into a season as well, so it’s a tough one.

“I think for Daniel, I struggle with the results he’s had lately, because he’s an exceptional talent. He really is.

“To jump in the Red Bull when he did [2014] and go up against Sebastian Vettel, to go up against Max and be as competitive as he was, it was unbelievable. It really was.

“And then we saw glimpses of it at Renault as well, you know, before it was Alpine. Took some time to find his feet, but then he was extremely quick against the Hulk [Nico Hulkenberg], who we all rate very highly.

“It just didn’t materialise at McLaren and AlphaTauri, which is such a shame. And why is that? I don’t know.

“It’s not his age. He’s not old. Look at Fernando Alonso, what he can do. So the only person that knows is probably Daniel, and I feel for him, because to be on such a high for a lot of your career, and then it fall away for the last few years, it’s tough.

“But I think, from what I’ve heard, he’s made peace with it, and he’s got his whole life in front of him.

“I know there’s so much to do out there after Formula 1, and fun things for him to do that he wasn’t able to do while he was in F1, but it always hurts a bit when it’s not your decision to leave – and he’ll feel that pain for a little while – but then he’ll get over it and he’ll be all good.

“He’s such a personality. He’s got such a career in front of him, whether it’s in racing or TV, stand up, whatever it is, Daniel will find the route that works for him.”

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