When Daniel Ricciardo was brought back into the game, the expectation was a heroic return that would end with a Red Bull seat. But Sergio Perez survived, and Ricciardo remains at V-CARB. It is Ricciardo’s cross to bear as bad luck and an ill-fitted car resulted in him having lackluster performances. At least Ricciardo admits to it.
One’s teammate consistently outperforming one is usually a bad omen in F1, but Ricciardo got lucky with another chance. But it wasn’t what he set out for. Thus, after Perez pushed his chances further away by two years, Ricciardo was asked for his reaction.
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A self-critical Ricciardo admitted to GPblog, “I hold myself accountable for not doing anything too spectacular. When you’re trying to fight for a top seat you need to be doing some pretty awesome things.”
But in true Ricciardo fashion, he remains optimistic. “I don’t think it means it will never happen. It’s still a place I’d love to finish my career”, he added.
Daniel Ricciardo is most likely handed his current seat
Some would argue that Ricciardo has his current seat at Red Bull because the team is kind to him. The team is infamous for cutting out drivers who don’t meet expectations and Ricciardo has been far from it this season.
According to BBC’s Andrew Benson, Ricciardo has a guardian angel working for him in the team. “At the moment, though, Ricciardo is protected by team principal Christian Horner, sources say, and is safe for now from being replaced by reserve Liam Lawson”, explained Benson.
Keeping Ricciardo could mean repercussions for Yuki Tsunoda. “It is not hard to imagine a Lawson and Ricciardo line-up at RB in 2025, though, if Horner does not shift his stance and Tsunoda moves elsewhere”, added Benson. As Ricciardo is most likely given a second chance, his opportunity to learn from his mistakes and finally impress is now.
