After a heartbreaking split with McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo found his way back to a driver’s seat with AlphaTauri. However, the Australian is far from satisfied with the achievement and won’t settle for anything less than a seat in the best team on the grid, which is Red Bull.
115 points and a race winner in his first season at McLaren.
Mega job in 2021, @DanielRicciardo! pic.twitter.com/YaooFb4c3U
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) December 13, 2021
Despite handing McLaren their last win in F1, Ricciardo often faced negative rumors about his future in the sport. However, the Australian now enjoys a stark contrast in the nature of the conversation he is a part of. He is among the favorites to replace Sergio Perez if things go south for the Mexican. An update on X by user ‘Meredith‘ quotes the 34-year-old’s feelings over the same.
“I think that just makes me smile. It gives me a lot of encouragement that just through the highs and the lows, the ups and downs, if you stay on the straight and narrow, crazy things can happen.”
More than a year ago, Ricciardo had no means of being the subject of rumors that he was a potential target of Red Bull. Hence, the change in scenery only reflects the unpredictability of the sport, where even a half-decent season can bring a driver under the limelight.
Furthermore, it signifies Ricciardo’s positive approach and focused nature was all-important in steering the conversation in his favor. As such, hard work and staying focused are key to unprecedented opportunities arising in the sport.
Daniel Ricciardo downplays any talks of replacing Sergio Perez
Despite racing for less than half a season, Ricciardo was mighty impressive when driving the AlphaTauri. Meanwhile, with Sergio Perez struggling to keep up with Max Verstappen, rumors started growing of the Honey Badger making a famous return to the Austrian team. However, Ricciardo downplayed all such talks by claiming there had been no conversation between him and Red Bull. “I haven’t. Obviously all the stuff around my contract next year has been related to AlphaTauri. So yeah, I can say that honestly that’s as far as that goes.”
| YUKI TSUNODA AND DANIEL RICCIARDO ARE SET TO BE ALPHA TAURI’S 2024 LINE-UP
No news regarding Liam Lawson pic.twitter.com/joAOosIJNJ
— Formula Gravel (@FormulaGravel) September 18, 2023
For now, Ricciardo’s contract sees him drive for AlphaTauri next year alongside Yuki Tsunoda. Despite there being a possibility of Ricciardo making a move to Red Bull in 2025, the 34-year-old stays firm that his loyalties currently lie with AlphaTauri and that his goal is to achieve the best possible result in each race for his team.
