‘Says a lot about him’: Daniel Ricciardo’s classy act to Liam Lawson

New Red Bull rookie Liam Lawson has revealed Daniel Ricciardo’s classy act that “says a lot” about the beloved Aussie.

New Red Bull driver Liam Lawson has shed light on Daniel Ricciardo’s classy exit from the sport, revealing the Aussie was the only driver to congratulate him on his F1 promotion.

The F1 season kicks off this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix and there will be a different feel at Melbourne’s Albert Park without Ricciardo on the grid.

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Lawson, who is taking on the tough assignment of being Max Verstappen’s teammate, is one of six drivers heading into their first full-time season.

He replaced Ricciardo at Red Bull’s feeder team following last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, where Ricciardo became emotional as the reality set in that he had driven his last F1 race.

Lawson was later elevated to the Red Bull seat, replacing Mexico’s Sergio Perez in the garage next to Verstappen.

He said Ricciardo was the only driver, past or present, who has been in touch to congratulate him on the gig.

“I actually spoke to Daniel a lot when it was happening,” Lawson said in an interview with GQ.

Liam Lawson (right) paid tribute to how Daniel Ricciardo handled his exit from F1. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

“I will always have so much respect for him. Throughout the whole ordeal, from when the rumours started to when they were confirmed, he never said a bad word about or towards me.

“He never made it about me and him, because at the end of the day, it wasn’t our decision.

“It’s up to the team, and what they decide to do. He was so good to me, through all of it.

“Fast forward to December, when I got the Red Bull seat, and Daniel is still the only driver, past or present, to send me a message about it, congratulating me. It says a lot about him as a person.”

Lawson had his fair share of skirmishes while driving for VCARB last season.

He flipped the bird to Perez, accused Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll of sabotaging his qualifying in Qatar, and angered Fernando Alonso with his driving in the US Grand Prix sprint.

Ricciardo was all class to Liam Lawson. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Lawson, who is just the 10th Kiwi to drive in F1, has previously spoken about how Ricciardo offered some words of wisdom in Singapore, in a typically classy act from the Aussie on his way out the door.

“He’s never made it feel like we were in competition since last year when I jumped in after his wrist,” Lawson said.

“He’s always been good to me, in more ways than what most people will know, even just little things within the team.

“It wasn’t a great feeling in Singapore. When I left the track on Sunday, I went and saw him and I said, ‘I’m sorry for this whole situation because I know it sucks and it’s nothing against you’.

“He said, ‘Make the most of this opportunity because you get one shot at F1’. He wished me luck, which I respected massively.”

Ricciardo has kept a low profile since his departure from F1, while last week he announced a new wine with his brand Enchante.

The 35-year-old was featured in the seventh season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive and bid a final farewell to the sport and the documentary that helped make him a global star.

One of the original breakout stars of the documentary, he famously called Netflix a “bunch of c****” in the first season and endeared himself to a whole new legion of F1 fans, particularly in America.

Wearing casual clothes and sipping a glass of whisky, Ricciardo said: “This is it.

“I never thought I would have this career. I never through I’d be here, you know? That’s the truth.

Daniel Ricciardo has bit farewell to F1 and Drive to Survive. Photo: Netflix.

“Yes, my dream was to be world champion and there were years along the way where I genuinely felt like it was gonna happen.

“I got close, that’s OK. If I was world champion sitting here today, would it change how I feel or how I view myself, or anything like that? I don’t think so.

“Maybe my ego would be big. We don’t want that. I have no regrets.”

Ricciardo said his performance at last year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone left him questioning whether he still had the fearless mindset to put his body at risk driving at 300km/h.

“In those tricky conditions … I don’t know,” he said.

“I guess I don’t want to admit it but yeah, I believe I’m still willing to put it all on the edge but maybe I ask the question now, where as a 22-year-old or a 25-year-old, you probably don’t ask the question.”

Asked for details on that question, Ricciardo replied: “I don’t know if I want to say it, because it’s too vulnerable.

“Like ultimately, is it worth the risk? Yeah, it just opens you up for weakness.”

The 2025 F1 season kicks off this weekend in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix.

With every race as well as every practice and qualifying session live on Kayo Sports, it’s the only place to watch Lewis Hamilton’s first official laps in a Ferrari.

Originally published as ‘Says a lot about him’: Daniel Ricciardo’s classy act to Liam Lawson