Horner hopes to keep ‘brilliant character’ Ricciardo in Red Bull family as he hints at F1 lifeline for the Australian

Christian Horner says he's keen for Daniel Ricciardo to take on an ambassadorial role following his exit from RB, while suggesting there could be another opportunity for him to race within the Red Bull family in the future.

Ricciardo will be replaced by Liam Lawson at Red Bull’s sister outfit from the upcoming United States Grand Prix, with Horner and his senior colleagues searching for answers over “the bigger picture” of their future driver line-ups for both teams.

READ MORE: Horner claims Marko wanted Ricciardo out of RB seat after Spanish GP

Speaking in an appearance on the F1 Nation podcast, Horner admitted that Ricciardo will be “hugely” missed when the season resumes at the Circuit of The Americas – with the 35-year-old himself yet to comment on what’s next beyond a brief social media post.

He also made clear that Lawson – who is aiming to build on an encouraging stand-in run last season – and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who has faced plenty of scrutiny amid up-and-down form through 2024, will both be under pressure to deliver and keep their spots.

“Daniel is just a brilliant character, a brilliant human being,” said Horner in a lengthy conversation about the mid-season driver change. “He lights up a room when he walks into it, he’s got that infectious smile. I hope he stays around the sport.

“We’ve made it very clear that we want him to remain in an ambassadorial capacity with the team. Of course, one never really knows. If Liam doesn’t get the job done, if Checo [Perez] doesn’t get the job done… We know what Daniel’s capability is.

READ MORE: How one-of-a-kind Ricciardo left a permanent mark on F1 – both on and off the track

“But I think for him, he knows at the age that he’s at, he’s had a great career [with] so many memories. The most disgusting thing ever was drinking champagne out of his sweaty boot, but he made it his own!”

Horner was also asked if there’s any regret about Ricciardo’s second stint ending in such a way, with the Australian heading into the 2024 campaign hoping to convince Red Bull that he deserved another chance at the senior team.

“I would have loved to see him use it as a springboard to get back to where he was, to have completed the story, but it wasn’t to be,” Horner added, having been at the helm for Ricciardo’s seven Red Bull wins.

“Daniel’s honest about that and he knows in his heart that he gave it his best shot. He’s had a great career, a great run, but unfortunately the next chapter wasn’t to be.”

F1 QUIZ: Daniel Ricciardo special – how well do you know the Honey Badger’s F1 career?

Check out the full F1 Nation interview in the audio player below or by clicking here to listen via your preferred podcasting provider.