Formula 1: 5 drivers at risk of losing their seats after 2024

2. Daniel Ricciardo, RB

Speaking of Red Bull, sister team RB may have to move on from Daniel Ricciardo if his performance does not improve. Ricciardo was slated to compete for McLaren through the 2023 season, but the Woking-based team bought out his contract following a disappointing two-year run.

Ricciardo ended up signing with Red Bull as their third driver last year, and he made clear his goal to return to the Red Bull seat he gave up after the 2018 season. He ended up returning to Formula 1 during the 2023 season itself, replacing the struggling Nyck de Vries at RB (formerly AlphaTauri).

But Ricciardo's performance since then, specifically since the start of the 2024 season, has been a major disappointment, and there are reports that he could be replaced by reserve driver Liam Lawson even before the 2024 season comes to an end. While those reports have been denied, Red Bull's history of mid-season driver changes certainly makes you wonder.

Either way, Lawson is certainly waiting in the wings for 2025 after feeling like he deserved the seat in 2024. After Ricciardo suffered a wrist injury at Zandvoort, Lawson filled in for five races, and he outperformed teammate Yuki Tsunoda three times in the four races they both ran. If Ricciardo cannot prove he is capable of a resurgence, Lawson appears poised for an RB promotion.