Daniel Ricciardo is no stranger to pressure and speculation about his future. With two critical races ahead, he’s facing the talk head-on. The Australian driver seems to thrive on this kind of attention, often turning in a solid performance when the rumors are swirling.
Ricciardo has always dealt with criticism, especially during his time with McLaren, where it became almost routine. Retained by VCARB to challenge Sergio Perez for the Red Bull seat, his season began with a string of five races without points, halting any immediate chances of a promotion.
However, Ricciardo found some form with a fourth-place finish at the Miami Sprint and top ten results in both the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix. This turnaround quickly shifted the narrative from ‘Ricciardo to be dropped’ to ‘Ricciardo to replace Perez.’ But just as things were looking up, a disappointing British Grand Prix performance reignited calls for reserve driver Liam Lawson to take over, potentially leaving Ricciardo at VCARB only until the end of the season.
As Red Bull prepares to finalize its 2025 driver lineup during the summer break, Ricciardo and Perez are under the microscope. There are clauses in Perez’s contract that could allow Red Bull to make changes based on his points deficit to Max Verstappen, which currently stands at 137 points, far beyond the allowable 100-point gap. Despite the mounting speculation, Ricciardo seems unfazed, even embracing the scrutiny. ‘When we have a media briefing and they’re like,
a few people are saying things about you,’ I tend to have a decent weekend! Maybe some of it’s good.
Reflecting on his recent performances, Ricciardo insists he is making progress, citing his two top ten finishes in the last four races. He currently has 11 points, compared to his teammate Yuki Tsunoda’s 20 points. ‘I’m finally getting a little bit of momentum,’ he said. ‘Probably what I envisioned I should have maybe had all season so far, it was a little bit tougher to get that going. But now, try to keep it going. I feel quite good in the car.’
As for his future, Ricciardo isn’t looking at other teams. ‘Not to be stubborn or arrogant about it, but I’m not looking anywhere else,’ he said. ‘I really do enjoy being back in the [Red Bull] family.’ Ricciardo also mentioned that he sometimes appreciates the tough love from Helmut Marko, as it motivates him to perform better.
With his back against the wall, Daniel Ricciardo seems to thrive on the pressure and speculation that surrounds him. Whether this will be enough to secure his future with Red Bull remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Ricciardo is far from done fighting for his place.
Source: Planetf1
