Are Red Bull no longer convinced by Ricciardo? 'don't need to be in a rush'

F1 News

future for Daniel Ricciardo at vcarb unclear
24 June at 09:11
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  • Ludo van Denderen

In recent weeks, Visa Cash App RB seemed to be on the way up, but under the Spanish sun, Red Bull Racing's Italian sister team finally sank through the ice. With fifteenth place for Daniel Ricciardo and nineteenth for Yuki Tsunoda, VCARB underperformed. For Ricciardo in particular, it was a bitter pill. The Australian does not have a contract for next season and now he has to prove that he deserves one.

The Australian hasn't featured in this year's silly season. Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon, and even Guanyu Zhou have been linked with a move to a new employer. But, Daniel Ricciardo is no longer a sought-after driver. If the veteran is granted a longer contract in Formula 1, it will be with VCARB.

Ricciardo must wait longer for contract clarity

For months, the team was outspoken that it was extremely happy with both its drivers and saw no reason to switch. Meanwhile, this seems to have changed. While it is true that the option in Yuki Tsunoda's contract has been lifted (and he will stay on board in '25), Ricciardo is still awaiting clarity. Nor will that change in the coming weeks, according to Christian Horner's words.

After also openly expressing his confidence towards the very shaky performing Ricciardo for a while, the Briton refused to promise the Australian a seat for the future in Spain on Sunday. "We're acutely aware of all of the options so I guess over the summer break we'll sit down and start to look at them. The more races we have, the more information, the more data we have, so we don't need to be in a rush." Horner explained.

Knocking on the door at VCARB is young Kiwi Liam Lawson, the team's current reserve driver. At first glance, the battle for the remaining seat appears to be between him and Ricciardo. A young talent who made visible progress during a previous fill-in? Or a veteran who only sporadically shows their former spark?