The 2024 season hasn’t been kind to Daniel Ricciardo so far. Failing to score any points after the first four races, the Honey Badger is down in the dumps, fighting for survival at Red Bull’s sister team V-CARB. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda has been in top form, scoring seven points, completely outperforming Ricciardo. As pressure keeps mounting on the Perth-born driver, he simply asks the Red Bull bosses for more time.
Entering 2024, Ricciardo was a top contender to fill up a vacancy at Red Bull in the case Sergio Perez left. However, the Australian’s performances now leave him fighting for a place in the sport rather than vying for a spot in the best team on the grid.
Owing to the same, Ricciardo has attracted harsh comments from Helmut Marko. The man who plays a crucial role in determining Red Bull’s driver lineup each season has been far from impressed with Ricciardo, and rumors suggest he might be in favor of having someone else take up Ricciardo’s seat. However, Ricciardo remains positive of turning the tide around and claims things will soon be forgotten, per a report from Motorsport Week.
“I know what he expects and wants and it’s exactly what I want. I know it’s 24 races and it’s a long season. I have two good races now all of a sudden, the bad ones would be forgotten.”
There have been comparisons between Ricciardo’s current performances and his days with McLaren. Despite handing the Woking-based team their last F1 win, Ricciardo parted ways with McLaren under not-so-good circumstances. Ricciardo could end up in a similar situation if his performances with V-CARB don’t improve.
Helmut Marko mounts the pressure on Daniel Ricciardo
Writing a column for Speedweek in March, Helmut Marko was strict with his analysis of Daniel Ricciardo’s performances. Praising Tsunoda, Marko called for the Australian to “come up with something soon.”
V-CARB has struggled with maintaining pace in their car, which is also impacting the drivers’ ability to fight for points. But while Yuki Tsunoda has made the most of it, the same cannot be said about Ricciardo.
Should Ricciardo fail to meet the expectations, Liam Lawson is more than ready to take his place. The New Zealander took the F1 world by storm with his performances last year, ironically, filling in for Ricciardo. At the Chinese GP this weekend, the 34-year-old will be hoping for a turnaround in his fortunes.
