Daniel Ricciardo’s 2-Weekend Approach Might Just Hand Him Sergio Perez’s Red Bull Seat

Daniel Ricciardo continued to keep an eye out on the Red Bull seat as under-pressure Sergio Perez crashed out of Q1 again in Hungary on Saturday. Ricciardo realized that he had to make the most out of the opportunity at hand, which is why he labeled the next two races as important.

After Qualifying at the Hungaroring, Ricciardo said,

“I know there’s two races before the break and they’re important, as important as ever. So just using that to give me a little bit more. That’s why I feel like tomorrow we can be even better.”

️ Daniel: “I know there’s two races before the break and they’re important, as important as ever. So just using that to give me a little bit more. That’s why I feel like tomorrow we can be even better. I’m still very confident looking to tomorrow.” pic.twitter.com/YD1LgSj0Ju

— meredith (@mereeedithh) July 20, 2024

Perez crashed at turn eight of the Hungaroring, which added to the woes and also the damage repair bills for Red Bull. He will start Sunday’s race from P16. And at the Hungaroring, where overtaking is difficult, Perez will have to work extra hard to get into the top ten.

Ricciardo, on the other hand, finished P1 in Q1, just minutes after Perez’s crash. Eventually, he secured a ninth-place starting position for the race, which gave him a huge advantage for fighting in the points.

If Ricciardo’s qualifying performance translates into a good result in the race, Perez will be put under more pressure.

Red Bull’s bosses are already frustrated and after the Mexican driver’s crash in Hungary, things have taken a turn for the worse.

Christian Horner on Perez’s crash

Before the Hungarian GP, Christian Horner admitted that Red Bull was desperate for Perez to get back to form. However, it was the same old story, with the 34-year-old making things difficult for himself and the team.

The Red Bull Team Principal said,

“We now have to get everything back together, repair the car, and see what we can get out of it during the race. Any discussions we have with him will, of course, take place internally and not in front of the media. But of course, we can’t run on one leg.”

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, on the other hand, revealed that the decision regarding Perez’s future would be taken after the Belgian GP.