RB has axed Daniel Ricciardo in favour of youngster Liam Lawson, effective immediately. The news was widely expected, with a very emotional Ricciardo hinting in Singapore that it may be his last race. He has been an off-and-on member of the Red Bull family during his F1 career, which spanned 14 years. While working as a Toro Rosso reserve driver, Ricciardo was given his F1 debut with HRT midway through 2011. He returned to Toro Rosso in a full-time seat the following year, where he stayed until being called up to replace the exiting Sebastian Vettel for 2014. He moved to Renault in 2019 before an unexpected move to McLaren in 2021. However, his time at McLaren was sort, having been dumped from the team at the end of 2022 after a lacklustre performance. Without a seat, he sat out much of 2023 before being called to return to his roots to replace Nyck de Vries at RB (then AlphaTauri). It was not a smooth return, with a broken hand benching him after only two races and allowing his future replacement, Liam Lawson, to take over for five races. After returning to finish the season, Ricciardo’s critics were adamant the Aussie’s days were numbered. The doubts continued through 2024, as Yuki Tsunoda outperformed his more experienced teammate. It’s unclear where Ricciardo’s future lies, although this likely means the end of his Formula One career.
McLaren has signed Red Bull chief strategist Will Courtenay as its new sporting director, although his start date remains unclear. Courtenay has been with the team since 2003 under Jaguar, having spent 14 years as the head of race strategy. He remains under contract with Red Bull until “mid 2026”, with Red Bull insisting he will see out his contract. However, McLaren will likely negotiate with Red Bull to have him released from his contract early.
Haas has lost its legal claim against former team principal Guenther Steiner over the use of the Haas branding in his book Driving To Survive. In May, the American F1 team took their former employee and book publisher Ten Speed to a California court, alleging both parties had used the Haas trademark without permission, including on the front cover. The court ruled the use of the material was artistically relevant and not misleading, deeming it fair use. However, a counter-claim against Haas for court fees was denied because Haas’ lawsuit was “objectively reasonable”.
Michael Andretti will step down from leadership of Andretti Global, preferring to move to a more strategic advisory role. Part owner, Dan Towriss, will take over the role of CEO. Andretti insists he was not forced out of the company, instead saying he no longer wants to run the day-to-day operations of the motorsport empire. The company had initially wanted to announce the restructuring later in the year but was forced to speak now after a special report by Sportico, a publication owned by the son of IndyCar rival team owner Roger Penske. Everyone has remained tight-lipped on whether Andretti Global will continue its bid to join Formula One, with its application having been rejected earlier in the year.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
