Ricciardo reveals cunning Marko plan to secure F1 future

Daniel Ricciardo has lifted the lid on how he plans to secure his F1 future with Helmut Marko eyeing younger drivers for the Visa Cash App RB seat beyond 2024.

Ricciardo made his return to the Red Bull family in 2023, and whilst it was hoped he would be able to rediscover the form which made him an eight-time race winner, the Australian has struggled for consistency.

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With both seats in the Red Bull team locked down, Ricciardo's most viable option is now to continue with the Racing Bulls team.

But Marko, director of the Red Bull F1 teams, fuelled doubts that the 34-year-old would remain on the grid with comments to Kleine Zeitung that young prospect Liam Lawson could be put in the seat after shareholders emphasised Racing Bulls' role as a junior team.

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Will Ricciardo stay in F1 beyond 2024?

When Ricciardo first departed Red Bull in 2018, he did so with his stock high. If he is to leave the outfit and the grid this time around, it is likely that it will mark his retirement from the sport.

But the former Renault and McLaren driver is not ready to throw in the towel yet, despite Marko's comments.

"I don’t feel one way or another about it," he told written media ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, regarding Marko namedropping Lawson.

"I still know that the overriding thing in this sport is performance, and that’s what will give me my best chance of staying here. It’s not going to be my smile or anything else, it’s the on-track stuff.

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"So I’ve obviously got a good opportunity, I say until the summer break, I don’t think that’s a deadline, but obviously that’s what you look at for the first half of the season.

"If I kick a*** here, if I kick a*** in Silverstone, then I think the narrative can change. I think that’s where I obviously have to own that and be on top of what I can do."

Ricciardo had a poor start to the season, and still trails team-mate Yuki Tsunoda by 10 points. However, he has bettered Tsunoda's performances in the last two weekends and hopes that is the start of a resurgence.

"I’m sure qualifying fifth in Montreal made Helmut smile. If I can do that a few more times I’m sure I’ll make him smile. It’s still so heavily [based] on performance, and yeah, just keep focused on that," Ricciardo concluded.

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