Leading into this weekend, the prevailing sentiment was that Daniel Ricciardo will continue at VCARB. The 34-year-old has received consistent support from Christian Horner and Peter Bayer (Racing Bulls CEO). However, the Australian’s position on the team is certainly unorthodox. Typically, the Faenza-based outfit has facilitated the growth of young drivers – rather than keep drivers in their mid-30s. This is something Helmut Marko pointed out to the media.
Just under 12 months ago, there was huge excitement around Ricciardo’s F1 return. At the time, his contract with VCARB was seen as a stepping-stone to Red Bull. After all, why else would an 8-time race winner go to an outfit explicitly defined as a B-team?
His results were solid to start off, though Yuki Tsunoda was still notably faster. That said, Ricciardo was expected to take a big step forward in 2024.
The opposite has been the case. Tsunoda has gone from strength to strength, consistently outperforming the Australian. Because of this, the 24-year-old is seen as a valuable asset – both within and outside of the team.
Despite this, Ricciardo’s position at VCARB has been regarded as quite safe. He still enjoys support from senior personnel at Red Bull and the Racing Bulls – even if Perez’s deal closes the door to a promotion.
Christian Horner, Peter Bayer and Laurent Mekies have all been overwhelmingly positive about Ricciardo.
HELMUT MARKO: RED BULL HAVE GREAT JUNIOR TALENT
The same cannot be said for Helmut Marko, though, with the Red Bull advisor critical of the 24-year-old’s position:
“Racing Bulls is still a junior team,” he told Sky Germany. “So you have to think about what will happen in the future.”
“We also have two very good people in Hadjar and Iwasa.”
Marko has already declared that Tsunoda’s position on the team is secure. He is yet to give Ricciardo the same verdict, with the 81-year-old generally opting to praise Red Bull’s young talent – including the likes of Liam Lawson.
It remains unclear whether Marko’s comments represent a genuine source of concern for the man from Perth.
After all, Marko’s influence in decision-making is understood to have diminished in 2024. For now, more evidence will be necessary to suggest Ricciardo is at risk of losing his seat.
Still, there is obviously pressure on him to perform.
