Daniel Ricciardo has been under scrutiny since making his F1 comeback following the disastrous McLaren stint. Liam Lawson’s good performances as his substitute last year put further pressure on the Aussie, who struggles to impress the paddock. As he fights to save his F1 and V-CARB future, former driver Jolyon Palmer has come out to defend him.
“I think Ricciardo has been doing well”, said Jolyon Palmer on F1TV’s post-race show during the Austrian GP.
Palmer discussed Ricciardo’s points finish in Spielberg with Will Buxton and Davide Valsecchi. Exposing the unfair bias, he added, “Anytime he doesn’t do well, it’s a headline now because he’s under pressure. But he’s actually been low-key picking up some results recently.“
“I think Ricciardo has been doing well. [….] Any time he doesn’t do well, it’s a headline now because he’s under pressure, but he’s actually been low key picking up some results recently.“
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Ricciardo, meanwhile, knows he is under pressure. Coming into the Austrian GP, there were rumors that he would be replaced mid-season, which would have all but ended his F1 career. However, he refused to give up and responded with another points finish in Spielberg.
Ricciardo’s season started on a dismal note, with Yuki Tsunoda comprehensively outperforming the Perth-born driver, but of late, he has improved. He is going toe to toe with the Japanese driver and is making a point to V-CARB in hopes of earning a contract extension for 2025.
However, Ricciardo will have to be more consistent with his performance. 2023 has been a mixed bag for the 34-year-old, but his good weekends need to be pointed out the same as his bad ones. This is what made Palmer hail Ricciardo publicly.
Daniel Ricciardo hopeful of Austrian GP convincing Helmut Marko
Red Bull has a history of replacing its drivers midway into a campaign and Ricciardo is wary of a similar outcome. Last year, he got back to the grid when Nyck de Vries was sacked by the Faenza-based team just 10 races into the campaign.
However, with his performance in Austria and an upward trajectory in form, Ricciardo will be hopeful of Red Bull chief Helmut Marko taking things easy on him. While talking about Marko, Ricciardo said (according to Fox),
“I think this weekend’s helped. As I said, it’s a little bit more consistent now. So just keep it going. And hopefully by the summer break he’s [Marko] laying on a beach somewhere saying ‘Ricciardo, he’s still got it’.”
Although Red Bull needs to give Liam Lawson a seat for 2025 if they want to stop him from moving to a competitor, it is difficult to see anyone else but Ricciardo giving way to the New Zealander.
To save his seat at Red Bull’s sister team, Ricciardo has to beat or at least match Tsunoda at the end of the season.
