Buckle up, race fans! Max Verstappen shares a helicopter ride video with Daniel Ricciardo after an intriguing Red Bull meeting.
- Whispers of Ricciardo’s return to Red Bull with Verstappen are louder than ever.
- Current teammate Sergio Perez struggles, finishing races no higher than seventh since May.
- A shootout test between Ricciardo and Liam Lawson is planned to determine Perez’s replacement.
- Verstappen intensifies rumors by sharing an Instagram video with Ricciardo.
Max Verstappen has stirred the pot by posting a video on Instagram of him leaving Spa with Daniel Ricciardo. This has fueled speculation that Ricciardo might rejoin Red Bull as Verstappen’s teammate for the latter part of the F1 2024 season.
The current Red Bull driver lineup includes Verstappen and Sergio Perez. However, Perez has had a series of lackluster performances, finishing no higher than seventh place since the Miami Grand Prix in early May. This poor performance has led to chatter about his potential replacement.
Perez, despite signing a two-year contract last month, may be on the chopping block. A clause in his contract allows Red Bull to drop him since he’s more than 100 points behind Verstappen in the Drivers’ standings. As of the Belgian Grand Prix, the gap stands at 146 points.
Plans to replace Perez are well underway. An upcoming shootout test at Imola between Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson is set for Wednesday. The winner of this test will likely take over Perez’s seat for the rest of the 2024 season.
Ricciardo’s return seems likely as he was seen discussing with Christian Horner and Laurent Mekies, team principals of Red Bull and VCARB, post-race at Spa. Verstappen added more fuel by posting a video of himself and Ricciardo giving thumbs up in a helicopter.
In the video, Verstappen included a song with lyrics hinting at new beginnings. His caption read: “Thank you Spa, wishing you all a lovely summer break,” leaving fans to speculate.
If Ricciardo makes a comeback, it would mark his return to the team where he achieved the majority of his F1 victories. He raced alongside Verstappen from 2016 to 2018, and after stints with other teams, he’s back at Red Bull as their reserve driver since last season.
Ricciardo has shown a good form with four points-finishes since his return, making him a strong contender. This makes the competition with Lawson even more intriguing.
This could be the start of an exciting new chapter for Red Bull with a possible Verstappen-Ricciardo reunion.
