Daniel Ricciardo, the Australian racing driver, has revealed that he has not yet received an official warning from Red Bull. His performance for Red Bull’s sister team has not quite lived up to expectations, leaving his Formula 1 future uncertain. This is the first time Ricciardo has responded to comments about his future made by Helmut Marko.
Red Bull advisor Marko recently expressed his desire for Daniel Ricciardo to make way for Liam Lawson at Visa Cash App RB. Lawson had previously replaced Ricciardo in 2023 after the Australian injured his hand. The eight-time Grand Prix winner has now responded to the Austrian advisor’s comments. “I knew nothing about it until I was told when I arrived here,” said Ricciardo, speaking to SpeedCafe upon his arrival at the Red Bull Ring.
However, the Australian is keeping his opinions about the Austrian’s comments to himself. “I have no opinion on it. I still know that the most important thing in this sport is performance. Delivering good performance gives me the best chance to stay here. I know it won’t be my nice smile or anything else, but the actions on the track.”
Daniel Ricciardo’s Performance in the Drivers’ Championship
Daniel Ricciardo currently ranks twelfth in the drivers’ championship, two places lower than his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver has also managed to score ten more points than his Australian teammate. However, Ricciardo has not received any warnings from Red Bull. “I haven’t heard anything,” says Ricciardo. “There’s been no pressure, no ultimatums, nothing like that.”
‘Summer Break is the Deadline’
The Australian driver has received support from Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and Visa RB team boss Laurent Mekies, but he believes he only has until the summer break to prove himself. “I don’t think that’s a deadline, but of course, that’s what you’re looking at for the first half of the season,” he reasoned. “What I’ve definitely struggled with this year is putting together a strong series of good results. Two (Spain and Canada) is still not enough, at least for where I want to be. I certainly have a chance to go into the summer break with some momentum.”
