Going into the 2024 Singapore GP, Daniel Ricciardo finds himself fighting for his F1 seat. During the Thursday Press Conference, the Australian explained that the situation isn’t alien to him, having found himself in a similar fix with McLaren in 2022.
Discussing the speculation surrounding his future in the sport, he compared it to his final stint with the Woking-based team. He also added that many drivers go through such a cycle in their careers.
When quizzed about his future, the Honey Badger revealed that he has developed a thick skin after spending over a decade in the F1 paddock. As a result, he believes that rumors about his seat do not bother him anymore.
He was quoted as saying, “I’ve been here before, obviously there’s been some speculation the last few years, and I was in this position with McLaren. I guess you build a little bit of a tolerance to it or a thick skin, but also I’m not the only one.”
Daniel Ricciardo expects a decision about his future within Red Bull’s Formula One setup after this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix amid speculation he may not see out the season with RB.
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Reports suggest that the Singapore GP weekend would be Ricciardo‘s last in the sport. It is being suggested that Red Bull are looking to promote Liam Lawson to the second Visa Cash App RB (VCARB) seat from Austin onwards.
After McLaren sacked Ricciardo at the end of the 2022 season, he decided to sit out the 2023 season on the sidelines. However, a misfiring Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri (now VCARB) saw him pulled back into the sport mid-season last year.
Ricciardo’s Red Bull audition seems to have failed in 2024
Ricciardo’s homecoming at VCARB was fashioned as an audition for the second Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen. However, his year-long stint with the Faenza-based team so far has not delivered the expected results.
Team advisor Helmut Marko has himself expressed how Ricciardo has failed to make a compelling case for a promotion to the main team. Moreover, with a difficult 2024 season so far, he may not even be able to retain his VCARB seat going into 2025.
Ricciardo was asked if Singapore is his last race
“I’d say it’s not my last race, but we know how things are in this sport. I’m not going to stand here and say ‘I’m definitely going to continue’. I wouldn’t bet my house on it”
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On the other hand, Sergio Perez has seen a resurgence in his form of late. The 2024 Azerbaijan GP saw a composed and in-command Perez behind the wheel of the RB20. He was on his way to breaking an 11-race-long podium drought before a late-race contact with Carlos Sainz ended his Grand Prix.
If Red Bull do decide to replace Ricciardo, Lawson looks like a firm candidate to fill in the second seat at VCARB for the Austin GP next month. Marko had earlier confirmed that Lawson will drive for one of the two Red Bull teams in 2025.
Hence, it seems that Red Bull will either replace Ricciardo or Perez next season since the team have confirmed that both Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda will drive for them in 2025.
