Daniel Ricciardo knows where a strong season with RB might take him next year, but amidst the speculation, the Aussie vows to keep it simple and focus on his core mission as a driver: to push the right pedal “a little more than the left”.
Ricciardo and his RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda are both eyeing a potential seat at Red Bull Racing in 2025, with Sergio Perez’s contract with the Milton Keynes-based outfit expiring at the end of the season.
There are no assurances that either driver will get the call, or that Perez’s deal won’t get extended.
Indeed, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said in Jeddah that so far, the Mexican was “on pole” to keep his seat based on his performances in the opening two races of 2024, while revealing that over 16 drivers “are desperate to be in that car for next year”.
In Bahrain, tensions flared up between Ricciardo and Tsunoda when the latter was told to yield to the former in the closing stages of the race to provide the Aussie with a chance of hunting down Haas” Kevin Magnussen.
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When asked whether the prospect of a Red Bull seat might be causing friction between his teammate and himself, Ricciardo made clear that his focus remains solely on driving matters, not on contemplating the future.
"Look, I don't know,” he quipped. “I've been in this for a long time now, and I feel like every year there is a pressure.
"I am someone that has obviously got to a top team, and then I am also someone that has lost a contract and been sitting on the sidelines, so I've been through it all.
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"At the end of the day, you have to simplify these things like, I am standing here doing media, but my purpose of being here [in Saudi Arabia] is to race and to drive the car as fast as I can.
"So yes, we can overcomplicate or think about what happens if this team is watching me here and do I have a chance of getting this contract, there are so many things.
"But all we have to do is push that right pedal a little more than the left and really, that is it.
"Honestly, sometimes you have to break it down to something that simple, that's really, honestly why we are here."
Unfortunately, so far Ricciardo’s results year-to-date have put the eight-time Grand Prix winner on shaky ground. He has been outqualified by Tsunoda at both Sakhir and Jeddah and hasn’t finished higher than P13.
Nevertheless, RB team boss Laurent Mekies has no doubts about Ricciardo’s motivation.
“I think he is motivated and focused,” said the Frenchman. “We have rediscovered a driver who works technically to a very high standard, beyond speed for the team he is a very important added value.
“Then it’s nice to have rediscovered a very contented and smiling Daniel.”
However, keeping a watchful eye on the situation at RB, Helmut Marko insists Ricciardo will need to significantly improve his performance, or he could risk losing his seat.
“There’s a lot at stake this season for both Yuki and Daniel,” Marko told Speedweek.
“Yuki’s qualifying was very good, and Ricciardo has to come up with something soon…
“At least Tsunoda is very good in qualifying. Then they are in the points in the first stint, only to fall further behind afterwards…
“Whether they are putting too much strain on the tyres or there are other reasons is what you need to find out.”
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