RaceFans Round-up: Lawson to replace Ricciardo “shortly”

In brief

Lawson will replace Ricciardo ‘shortly’ – Marko

Marko, who has previously either Ricciardo or Liam Lawson will drive the second RB next year, told Kleine Zeitung the team owners “have made it known that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly.”

Ricciardo, 34, returned to the team last season but has been out-scored by Yuki Tsunoda so far this year.

“The goal was that he would be considered for Red Bull Racing with exceptional performances,” said Marko. “That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is no longer valid.”

“We have to put a young driver in there shortly,” he added. “That would be Liam Lawson.”

Last year the team, then known as AlphaTauri, dropped Nyck de Vries between the British and Hungarian grands prix, and replaced him with Ricciardo.

Better set-ups will help Mercedes in Austria

Mercedes say the improvements they’ve made to their car in recent races were borne out by their performance in the Spanish Grand Prix where there cars finished third and fourth, as they also did two weeks earlier in Canada.

“It’s a track that’s a good indication of the strengths and weakness of a car,” said trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin in a video released by the team. “So for us, very encouraging to see that we were quick enough to get on the podium there. We didn’t benefit from anyone else’s misfortune. So clearly, yes, the car’s working well.”

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have also been “much happier with the start set-ups” the team brings to race weekends, Shovlin added, which he expects will stand them in good stead for this weekend’s sprint event.

“With a sprint race, you’ve got one hour to get the car sorted out and set up,” he said. “Now, the recent changes we’ve made to the car, it’s an easier thing to work with.”

IndyCar team names seventh driver for ninth race

Coyne has announced its seventh different driver this year will join them for next week’s IndyCar round. Toby Sowery will take over their number 51 car alongside Jack Harvey for the Mid-Ohio event.

Sowery has prior experience of the Mid-Ohio track, having raced there in Indy Nxt, most recently…