Ricciardo BACKS UP Red Bull F1 seat push with Monza heroics

As the Formula 1 circus headed for Monza this weekend, there was as much to talk about off the track as there was on it.

After Lando Norris' stunning win at the Dutch Grand Prix, F1 fans are salivating at the prospect of a title fight between the Brit and Max Verstappen, whilst elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton's potential replacement at Mercedes was set to make his debut in an official F1 session, with spectators worldwide watching with a keen eye to see if all the hype would be justified.

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If that wasn't enough action to get behind, another rookie driver was also making his debut in the sport this weekend, with Williams having promoted the largely unknown Franco Colapinto to F1 following their decision to finally put Logan Sargeant out of his misery and axe him mid-season.

However, whilst all eyes were on the fresh talent coming into the sport, it was very much a veteran that demanded our attention in Italy on Friday.

Daniel Ricciardo impresses at Monza

At the track where he famously took his eighth F1 victory in 2021, Daniel Ricciardo's talent was once again on display at Monza, producing strong performances in both practice sessions.

This comes at a time when the 35-year-old's future in the sport is far from certain. Ricciardo's contract at Visa Cash App RB is due to expire at the end of 2024, and whilst team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has already earned an extension for next season, no such reward has been granted to the Australian, who has so far endured a mixed campaign.

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With Red Bull junior star Liam Lawson waiting for his F1 opportunity in the wings and figures within the team stressing that VCARB is for nurturing junior talent, it could even be argued that Ricciardo's position is under threat.

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Red Bull should consider Daniel Ricciardo

On a day when it was his team-mate who was given the new upgrade package, and he wasn't, Ricciardo had a point to prove, and he did just that.

The Aussie out-qualified the Japanese driver in both FP1 and FP2 on Friday, gapping him by over a tenth in the first practice session and by over four-tenths later in the day to finish P11 and P8 in the sessions, respectively.

Impressively, Ricciardo's time in FP2 also made him the fastest of all the Red Bull drivers, including Max Verstappen and most importantly, Sergio Perez.

Now, setting fast times in practice will not singlehandedly earn Ricciardo a seat at Red Bull next season, nor should it. However, increasing the level he is operating at and producing consistent performances that command consideration will only give Christian Horner and company further food for thought when it comes to who partners Verstappen next season.

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Sergio Perez, despite being contracted for 2025, is seemingly under huge pressure to keep his seat, and it feels as though Red Bull would make the change if they had a viable alternative.

Unfortunately, Ricciardo's form earlier in the season has meant that he is not currently seen as that, but a strong ending to the campaign could be enough to twist Horner's arm.

If that is to be the case, though, Ricciardo has to ensure his fortunes continue to change and that his heroics in Monza on Friday are just the start of a convincing run of performances.

Recent races have seen a steady improvement, but the Australian must stand out, be bold and catch the eye in the remaining eight-and-a-half race weekends if he is to have a chance of usurping his Mexican rival.

Failure to do so could see the eight-time race winner not only missing out on a Red Bull seat for 2025, but an F1 drive altogether.

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