Yesterday, Red Bull's sister team, RB, ended long-running speculations by announcing that Liam Lawson will replace Daniel Ricciardo for the remainder of the 2024 season. The decision followed Ricciardo's inability to meet the team's performance expectations.

Lawson previously filled in for Ricciardo in five races last year after the Australian driver sustained a wrist injury during the Dutch GP weekend. Due to Lawson’s strong performance in those races, RB has now chosen to give him the full-time seat.

Even though Lawson is stepping in for Ricciardo, he inherits the engine allocation assigned to Ricciardo's car, which doesn’t reset with a new driver. As a result, the New Zealander will face any potential grid penalties that Ricciardo could have received.

Red Bull’s advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has now revealed that Lawson is set for that kind of penalty during his F1 return in Austin.

"The first race [United States Grand Prix] won't be relevant because he has an engine penalty," Marko told Motorsport Total.

"He will drop 10 places in the sprint race, so that doesn't exactly make life easier in Austin."

RB still hasn’t officially announced who will drive for them alongside Yuki Tsunoda next year. However, with Lawson securing the full-time seat midway through the season, Red Bull is highly likely to extend his contract through the 2025 season.