Red Bull 'FORCED' Ricciardo change

Daniel Ricciardo has suggested that he was 'forced' into a key change by Red Bull.

Ricciardo's Formula 1 career looks to be over, after it was announced that he would be replaced by Liam Lawson for the final four races of the season.

READ MORE: Ricciardo 'OFFER' revealed as NASCAR talk addressed

Visa Cash App RB have decided to ditch Ricciardo following poor performances throughout 2024, where he has been outperformed by younger team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Ricciardo spent the majority of his career within the Red Bull family, claiming seven of his eight career victories with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Ricciardo admits Red Bull change

Ricciardo was promoted to the main Red Bull team back in 2014, partnering some of the greats of the sport during his time there, including Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

In his first season, Ricciardo got the better of Vettel by finishing ahead of him in the drivers' standings, despite Vettel being a four-time world champion.

Ricciardo claimed three race wins in a 2014 season that was dominated by Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

Now, Ricciardo has opened up about his early ventures into the sport, being signed by Red Bull at such a young age before being given an opportunity with sister team Toro Rosso (later AlphaTauri and VCARB), suggesting the change in his personality that occurred in those early years.

"When I got into the sport and moved to Europe, I was – maybe some people would find it hard to believe – I was quite a shy, not the most confident individual, and I think I was also … just quite young and immature," Ricciardo admitted to CNN.

"So getting signed up by the Red Bull program when I was 18, having that responsibility, that pressure, all of that, it forced me to grow up.

"Yes, there is that pressure that comes with being in the Red Bull family, but I know that is what gets the most out of me. I think because I’m a fairly relaxed individual, sometimes I need a little bit of that to shake me up and say, 'Let’s go.'"

READ MORE: NASCAR, IndyCar, or retirement? Ricciardo on racing future as F1 EXIT made official

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