Daniel Ricciardo has been heavily linked to Red Bull, with current star Sergio Perez underperforming massively. With rumors of a return to the Milton-Keynes-based squad growing by the day, Ricciardo admits to having fun with Helmut Marko and Christian Horner.
Ricciardo, after a poor start to the season, has enjoyed an improvement in form and results in recent races. This is making his time at RB – Red Bull’s sister team – enjoyable, and he remains in touch with the Austrian stable’s bosses. He says,
“It’s good to see them [Horner and Marko] after a good result. Helmut will let you know when the result is not good. I feel happy being back in that and under that microscope, in that environment with that pressure. It’s fun.”
️ Daniel: “It’s good to see [Christian and Helmut] after a good result. Helmut will let you know when the result’s not good. I feel happy being back in that and under that microscope, in that environment with that pressure. It’s fun.”#BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/KNwR8Tx0Dl
— meredith (@mereeedithh) July 25, 2024
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s development driver Liam Lawson tested with the team in Silverstone earlier this month and could be a candidate, either for them or RB.
Ricciardo is aware of the possibility of being promoted to Red Bull, which will be his second stint with the team. However, there are performance clauses in his contract, as is in Perez’s. If he fulfills them and Perez doesn’t, the honey badger could be headed to Red Bull, which he wanted in the first place.
Ricciardo’s aim to get back to Red Bull
Ricciardo joined RB (then AlphaTauri) in 2023, as Nyck de Vries’ mid-season replacement. Reports suggested that the move was a test for him to get back to Red Bull.
Unfortunately, things did not quite go his way. His form at the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 wasn’t impressive enough, and Perez ended up signing a two-year extension with Red Bull.
However, Perez’s slump brought Ricciardo right back into the mix, and now, the Perth-born driver won’t step down without a fight. He said to Fox Sports,
“Obviously going up, as I said last year, that’s like my goal. I’d love to return.”
Red Bull will likely decide Perez’s future in the upcoming summer break. Which is why Ricciardo will be looking to put in a strong result in the last race before F1 halts – the Belgian GP.
