Christian Horner speaks out on Daniel Ricciardo as VCARB exit confirmed

Christian Horner and Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, looking down from a balcony.

Christian Horner paid tribute to Daniel Ricciardo following the announcement he will be replaced at VCARB for the remainder of the season.

The former Red Bull driver will see his seat filled by Liam Lawson for the final six races, as Red Bull assess his viability for a seat at VCARB next season, with Ricciardo’s future now uncertain in the sport.

Christian Horner’s tribute to ‘more than just a driver’ Daniel Ricciardo

Ricciardo had returned to Red Bull’s sister team with the aim of being promoted back to Red Bull in future, with Sergio Perez having been out of contract at the end of this year when the season started.

But with Perez having signed a new contract until the end of 2026 and Ricciardo not out-performing Yuki Tsunoda on a regular enough basis, the decision was made to replace him with Lawson, with Helmut Marko having previously said VCARB should get set to return to its ‘junior team’ roots from its Toro Rosso days.

PlanetF1.com understands it will be up to Ricciardo whether or not he takes up another role within the Red Bull organisation, with nothing having yet been confirmed either way.

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But in the here and now, Red Bull team principal Horner paid tribute to the driver with whom he enjoyed a solid period of success in the early years of the turbo hybrid era.

“From the moment you arrived at Red Bull it was obvious you were so much more than just a driver,” Horner wrote on Instagram.

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“Your constant enthusiasm, sense of humour and attitude will leave an indelible legacy on the Team here in Milton Keynes and F1 as a whole.

“Thank you for the wins, smiles, songs (and I wish I could say the shoeys), you will always be a special part of the Red Bull Family.

“8 wins, 32 podiums, 1329 points. These statistics and accolades are not the only measure of who you are and what you have achieved. Thank you Daniel.”

In his own statement on social media, Ricciardo posted a photo of himself walking away and reflected on his career – with multiple drivers and teams commenting with their words of support at this time.

“I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey,” Ricciardo wrote on his own Instagram account.

“To the teams and individuals that have played their part, thank you. To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than me haha thank you. It’ll always have its highs and lows but it’s been fun and truth be told I wouldn’t change it.

“Until the next adventure.”

Read next: VCARB boss thanks ‘true gentleman’ Daniel Ricciardo as exit confirmed