SUMMARY
- Daniel Ricciardo is currently racing for Red Bull's sister team, RB.
- The Australian seems to be targeting a return to his former team.
Daniel Ricciardo was one of the biggest talents a few years ago. When he was racing for Red Bull, the Australian proved that he had what it took to represent one of the best motorsport racing teams in the world. Red Bull thought they formed a super team with the partnership of Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. The two drivers were young, aggressive, and eager to prove themselves on the big stage.
Perhaps that was the reason why their partnership didn’t work out. A breaking point for their relationship was when Ricciardo crashed into Verstappen at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, taking both Red Bull cars out of the race. This was just the tip of the iceberg, as the pair had their fair share of drama after that as well.
Danny Ric has won 8 races in his career, 7 being with Red Bull. He won at Monza in 2021 and hasn’t been able to return to the top since then. That was also the last time Ricciardo made it into the top three of any F1 race, and has failed to do even three years later.
Helmut Marko serves Daniel Ricciardo with huge ultimatum
It is no secret that Ricciardo is looking to secure a future with Red Bull, or any top team. The driver has shown glimpses of his former self in recent times, but seemed to be off his mark at times as well. That’s certainly what Helmut Marko thinks. He told Kleine Zeitung, “Yuki [Tsunoda] had a great start to the season and is no longer the hot runner he once was. There have only been a few races, so you can’t say much yet. But he has Daniel under control, even if it was close in Japan.”
“The expectation was that he had to be clearly faster than Yuki if he wanted to have any hope of getting a seat at Red Bull. That hasn’t been the case so far, even if, as I said, it was close,” Marko added.
The Red Bull personality’s comments will be a brutal reality check for Ricciardo, who has fallen behind RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver finished 10th in his home race while his teammate unfortunately crashed in the first lap. In the following Chinese Grand Prix, both RB drivers did not finish the race. Tsunoda collided with Kevin Magnussen, while Ricciardo had that infamous collision with Lance Stroll.
Christian Horner pits Ricciardo against RB talent Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson recently won the 2023 Super Formula Championship, and is currently eyeing his F1 debut. The New Zealand talent is gunning for a spot on the Red Bull team, and Christian Horner recently placed Ricciardo on high alert.
He said, “He needs to show the kind of head-turning form to make not only ourselves but potentially to make others take notice – and we’re only at race five. Now, obviously, waiting in the wings is a driver with the talent of Liam Lawson, who naturally is champing at the bit to get an opportunity.”
Horner’s comments indicate that this could be do-or-die for Ricciardo, and he has to prove that he belongs in the sport, and he has to do it fast. There are 19 races left in the 2024 season, and Ricciardo has to improve Red Bull and other teams that he still has some gas left in the tank.