How a Drive to Survive STAR is close to losing his F1 seat

Daniel Ricciardo has been performing far from his best since returning to Formula 1 midway through the 2023 season.

His Visa Cash App RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has been the main man and continues to lead their constructors’ championship charge.

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Some have been highly critical of Ricciardo’s form – most notably Jacques Villeneuve, who ripped into him at the Canadian Grand Prix.

It’s not to say that the Australian hasn’t driven well in spells though, with his fourth place in the Miami Grand Prix sprint race standing out.

But across the board, his consistency hasn’t been there and for someone with a lot more experience than his team-mate, you would rightfully be expecting more from him.

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Why is Daniel Ricciardo in a tricky position?

The main problem for his team is that with Tsunoda confirmed as one of their drivers, they only have one available seat left.

Liam Lawson, who filled in as an injury replacement for Ricciardo after he broke his wrist last season, was promised a full-time F1 race seat for 2025.

There are no longer any vacancies at Red Bull after they announced that Sergio Perez will remain with them, meaning that there is only one seat for the Red Bull family to allocate to a driver.

There is an option for Red Bull to allow Lawson to drive elsewhere and thus keep their promise, but would it be wise to let a young talent join a rival team?

Ricciardo – now aged 34, has struggled to perform since joining McLaren in 2021 and shows no signs of rediscovering permanent form.

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Where does Daniel Ricciardo go next?

Is his situation likely to improve after four years of dissatisfactory performances? The flashes of brilliance are still there, and there is still a stellar driver within the Aussie on the right day.

He also brings great value from a marketing standpoint, which is part of the reason he returned last season for AlphaTauri.

But, time is running out for him to prove that his on-track credentials are still of the highest caliber.

His dreams of a Red Bull seat faded just a matter of weeks into the season, and now he has been left to look behind rather than ahead.

Helmut Marko – Red Bull’s talent advisor, will continue to apply pressure until the Aussie cracks or delivers.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is a keen admirer of Ricciardo and will likely want him to continue – but his word may not be enough, especially if the Lawson camp applies more pressure.

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