Ralf Schumacher thinks £108k-a-week driver will compete in his last F1 race at the Singapore Grand Prix

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Formula 1 has already seen one mid-season driver change in 2024, with Logan Sargeant losing his Williams seat to Franco Colapinto. James Vowles decided to axe Sargeant after the Dutch Grand Prix in late August.

Sargeant survived the summer break, with Williams hopeful that he could see out the season before the arrival of Carlos Sainz. But his future remained under active review.

As such, the American always seemed under pressure, and when he crashed heavily in the final practice session at Zandvoort, Vowles ran out of patience. He destroyed a number of brand-new components on his heavily-upgraded car.

The team principal shopped the market of potential replacements but eventually promoted from within. Driver academy starlet Colapinto received the call-up from Formula 2.

Colapinto has immediately justified Vowles’ faith. After a commendable P12 on his debut in Italy, he bagged an outstanding P8 in Azerbaijan last weekend.

Sargeant scored just one point in more than a season and a half with Williams, but Colapinto bettered that haul after just two races. The speed of his adaptation has been hugely impressive.

Ralf Schumacher believes Daniel Ricciardo is about to lose his F1 seat to Liam Lawson

Now, according to Sky Germany pundit Ralf Schumacher, another driver change beckons. RB’s Daniel Ricciardo will make way for Liam Lawson after the Singapore GP this weekend.

Schumacher believes that Red Bull risked losing Lawson if they didn’t find him a seat from next month’s US GP onwards. This is an alternative reading of the relevant contractual clause.

Reports elsewhere have stated that the team only needed to offer Lawson a 2025 seat by mid-September. It remains to be seen who has understood the situation correctly.

Schumacher said: “It’s a shame for Daniel, because we’ll be missing a driver who is super nice, always has a smile and who you like to meet in the paddock.”

Giedo van der Garde tells Red Bull how they can show ‘respect’ to Daniel Ricciardo

If Schumacher’s information is accurate, then Lawson will reunite with Yuki Tsunoda in Austin after their five-race stint together last year. Red Bull would presumably have to pay off the rest of Ricciardo’s £108k-a-week contract (Spotrac).

Christian Horner will try to handle the situation delicately given that Ricciardo previously won seven Grands Prix with the team. As a 32-time podium finisher with more than 250 Grand Prix starts to his name, he commands respect.

Giedo van der Garde has urged Red Bull to keep Ricciardo until Abu Dhabi. But, based on Schumacher’s intel, that could cost them Lawson.

And crucially, Red Bull see Lawson as Max Verstappen’s teammate in the long run. They’d be willing to sacrifice an ageing, seemingly post-peak Ricciardo if it meant keeping an exciting talent.