Callum McAvoy
Published March 30, 2025 10:58amUpdated March 30, 2025 10:58am
Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has revealed that Daniel Ricciardo made a secret visit to the Formula 1 team at the start of the 2025 season.
However, he has ruled out the possibility of the popular Aussie making another sensational return to the grid amid the chaos surrounding Liam Lawson’s demotion.
Last week it was announced that Red Bull had decided to axe Lawson after just two races, with Yuki Tsunoda promoted from Racing Bulls.
The Kiwi had endured a difficult start to the season, crashing out of the season opener in Australia before qualifying last and finishing outside of the points in China.
While some have backed the decision, others, including Red Bull’s star driver and reigning champion Max Verstappen, are unimpressed and believe Lawson’s struggles were down to the RB21 car.
Tsunoda, who has driven for Red Bull’s sister team since 2021, was always the first choice for promotion and will be given until the end of the season to prove his worth.
But there were rumours that former Red Bull star and fan favourite Ricciardo visited the team’s headquarters during the season opener in Melbourne three weeks ago, at a time when Marko was already having doubts about Lawson’s ability.
His appearance inevitably leads to speculation that the 35-year-old could return to the sport having been axed by Racing Bulls and replaced by Lawson toward the end of the 2024 season.
Ricciardo drove for Red Bull from 2014 to 2018, winning seven races, and had previously been sacked by McLaren in 2022 before being given a lifeline by Racing Bulls.
Asked if another Ricciardo comeback was on the cards, team advisor and head of driver development Marko confirmed the rumours about the Aussie’s visit but said he would not be driving again.
‘No, that was never considered,’ he told the Dutch outlet of Motorsport.com.
‘Daniel did his last race and has stayed away from Formula 1 since then.
‘He was there briefly in Australia, but I think he was gone again on Thursday. This was never an issue.’
Back in December, Ricciardo suggested that his F1 career was over for good, seemingly distancing himself from a seat at the new Cadillac team for 2026.
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Ex-Red Bull star Sergio Perez, who was sacked and replaced by Lawson over the winter break, is the frontrunner to join the American outfit.
Marko also revealed that he spoke to the Mexican in the wake of Lawson’s demotion last week but that they only ‘talked about tequila’.
Tsunoda will make his Red Bull debut at his home grand prix in Japan next weekend.
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