Daniel Ricciardo’s 2024 campaign hasn’t been as smooth as expected after his surprise return to the grid in 2023. Even though the V-CARB bosses are keen on keeping him for 2025, the Aussie is bothered about facing a significant deficit against his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Ricciardo sits at P14 in the table with only five points in his hand. Meanwhile, Tsunoda has impressed everyone with his performances and boasts his P10 spot in the standings with 19 points to his name.
“I’m just dissatisfied with the differences [with Tsunoda ] and that’s starting to bother me a bit. They know I can do it. It just turns out to be difficult to perform every week this year. That’s what I want to focus on now,” said Ricciardo, as per Formule1.nl.
Ricciardo: “I’m just dissatisfied with the differences [with Tsunoda ] and that’s starting to bother me a bit. They know I can do it. It just turns out to be difficult to perform every week this year. That’s what I want to focus on now.”
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) June 5, 2024
Surprisingly, Ricciardo is yet to score a point in the main race. His only saving grace so far has been the P4 finish in the Miami Grand Prix sprint race that got him his current haul on the table.
Therefore, with a plethora of candidates at Red Bull Academy waiting for their chance, it’s hard for the Milton Keynes-based outfit to justify the Honey Badger’s position in the team. Yet, he is rated so highly within the team that they expect him to make a turnaround soon enough.
Laurent Mekies has promised that he and his team will try their best to make Ricciardo comfortable in the car. Meanwhile, Mekies also ruled out speculations of the 34-year-old’s departure owing to his bad form. But that might turn out to be a bigger problem.
If Daniel Ricciardo stays, then what about Liam Lawson
When Ricciardo got injured last season after a crash in Zandvoort, Liam Lawson stepped in as an impactful sub. The New Zealander’s performances were better than expected and fetched several interests in the paddock.
For 2024, Red Bull secured his services by keeping him as a reserve driver. However, that arrangement isn’t possible to sustain for long.
Lawson himself admits that he aspires to have his full-fledged F1 stint. So, if Ricciardo and Tsunoda are retained for 2025, then Lawson could bid adieu to his alma mater.
https://t.co/8OxSiatCaT reports that Ricciardo is currently “protected” by Christian Horner and has his seat safe even for next year. However, were it for Helmut Marko, who’s apparently lost all power and influence post Horner debacle, the seat would go to Liam Lawson. #F1
— Simon Dau (@there_is_no_if) June 3, 2024
As per recent reports, Marko wants to have Lawson in the car for 2025, but Horner is inclined towards Ricciardo. Therefore, the choosing of V-CARB drivers is speculated to be yet another rift within the team’s leadership.
