F1 news reports and speculation are sweeping across social media – as Daniel Ricciardo puts himself in contention for a Red Bull seat.
Since returning to the grid with AlphaTauri in Hungary, Daniel Ricciardo has been heavily linked to a return to Red Bull. In some ways, this is a logical connection to make.
Sergio Perez’s form in 2023 has been below par, and Ricciardo hasn’t signed with AlphaTauri to hang around in the midfield. Red Bull has also made no secret that the Australian can fight for a promotion. However, with Perez contracted to stay next season, Christian Horner has always insisted that any driver changes can be expected in 2025.
In recent days, several factors have accelerated speculation about a decision taking place sooner.
The main variable is Daniel Ricciardo’s superb performance in Mexico. To be clear, it is unlikely the outcome of one Grand Prix will guarantee the 34-year-old a seat alongside Max Verstappen. Still, his efforts in Mexico City didn’t go unnoticed by decision-makers at Red Bull.
Various whispers from the paddock
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was particularly complimentary of the Honey Badger’s result:
“You couldn’t fail to be impressed by Daniel this weekend. His qualifying was outstanding, and he showed his maturity, experience and pace in the race,” he told Sky Sports.
It is important to emphasise that – due to his Zandvoort injury – Ricciardo hasn’t had much of a chance to make a case for 2024. Rather than building himself up across 10+ consecutive races, the Australian has suffered a stop-start F1 return. With that said, the upcoming three rounds could change things.
Not only is the 8-time race winner performing, but the AT04 is capable of securing strong results. To make a strong impression on Red Bull, this is essential.
Perhaps it is unfair to dismiss Yuki Tsunoda in this conversation. After all, his performance in COTA was very impressive. Moreover, until his incident, his recovery at the Mexico GP was very promising. Despite this, Red Bull has almost exclusively talked up Ricciardo as a candidate to partner Verstappen.
Both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, at various points in 2023, have alluded to this.
There have also been reports from F1 news reporters (some more cryptic than others) about Ricciardo’s chances for 2024. Of course, none of these amount to confirmation. Still, F1 has a history of seemingly unlikely rumours becoming a reality.
At this stage, it would be naive to assume that everything is done and dusted at Red Bull. In some ways, it is ironic that Ricciardo outqualified Perez in one of his best sessions of 2023 – with the Mexican only two-tenths behind Verstappen.
The question is whether the Australian can continue to knock on the door at Milton Keynes. On paper, a decision to replace Perez would be a huge shock in the F1 driver market. After all, making a change at this level of the sport carries some risk.
The need to strengthen for 2024
However, keeping Perez is not a risk-free choice either. Helmut Marko has spoken about the concerns within the team about McLaren, for example. Among other things, the Woking outfit’s strong driver pairing makes them a threat.
Since the summer break, Perez has scored 51 points. This is less than Lando Norris (100 points) and Oscar Piastri (53). And these statistics are with Perez at the wheel of a dominant RB19.
Hamilton is still just 20 points behind the Mexican driver in the standings. Irrespective of whether Perez clings onto P2, it seems reasonable to predict that – if Mercedes, Ferrari or McLaren close the gap – Red Bull could be vulnerable in 2024.
Considering the history Red Bull has with driver selection, the next three rounds could carry significant consequences.
It cannot be forgotten that Liam Lawson is also waiting for an opportunity. At some stage, someone must lose their seat to make way for the 21-year-old.
This doesn’t necessarily have to be Perez. Still, if Red Bull doesn’t believe Perez can come close to Verstappen next season, it would be counterproductive to delay a series of changes which – at this stage – seem somewhat inevitable.
