A sudden and wild new rumour about Red Bull’s driver situation in Formula 1 popped up in the Singapore GP paddock on Thursday.
The initial speculation was all about Daniel Ricciardo, and raging rumours that this weekend will be his 257th and final race start in the sport.
It is believed Red Bull has taken up the option on Liam Lawson’s contract before it expires in mere days, not only meaning he will be in the RB car in 2025, but that he will replace Australian Ricciardo from Austin and beyond this year.
Ricciardo, 35, admits that he is expecting to hear the team owner’s driver plans for 2025 this weekend, but sounded determined to cling onto his cockpit for the rest of this season.
"I don’t think so," he told reporters when asked if his contract allows Red Bull to sideline him from the US GP. "Actually, I would say no. But I’m not a lawyer.
"We know how things work in the sport. You can never be 100 percent sure. So I wouldn’t bet my house on it. I’ve been in the game too long for that."
Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport thinks Red Bull boss Christian Horner, and RB sponsor Visa, are pushing for Ricciardo to stay in 2024. But Dr Helmut Marko, the powerful Red Bull F1 advisor, is pushing hard for Lawson, 22.
Max Verstappen, though, was preparing to say goodbye to his friend.
"Even if this is, let’s say, the last race or whatever, you can still look back at something amazing that not many people can achieve and do something else maybe in life," said the Dutchman.
However, a new rumour has suddenly emerged - that Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull Racing, Sergio Perez, might soon announce his retirement from Formula 1 at the age of 34.
The rumours had emerged in his native Mexico, where it is said that Perez wants to spend more time with his family rather than continue to cope with the rigours of the F1 schedule.
"This is the first time I’ve heard of this," Marko smiled when asked about the Perez retirement rumour, according to Kronen Zeitung newspaper.
"But his wife is expecting their fourth child. An interesting alternative," he concluded.