Daniel Ricciardo Goes Cold On Future With Red Bull

Saajan Jogia | Aug 7, 2024

Jun 7, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; RB driver driver Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) in the pit lane during the practice session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

VCARB (RB) driver Daniel Ricciardo has thrown light on his Red Bull future with a cold response, suggesting that "nothing can hurt" him any longer as he focuses on improving his form "session by session."

Ricciardo was left without an F1 seat for nearly a year following the end of his association with McLaren in 2022. It wasn’t until the middle of last year, when Red Bull parted ways with Nyck de Vries, that he secured a position with the junior team alongside Yuki Tsunoda.

The Australian driver describes his post-gap F1 journey as a "second chance," hoping to secure a spot with the Red Bull team after demonstrating his skills with VCARB. While 2023 didn't offer him a concrete chance to prove himself, 2024 was a contest left wide open for Ricciardo.

Ricciardo's goal was not only to elevate the team in the standings but also to mentor Tsunoda. However, his season started with challenges, and point finishes were infrequent. In contrast, Tsunoda emerged as the team leader, consistently scoring the majority of the points and now holding nearly double the points of Ricciardo.

At the start of the season, the 35-year-old driver was expected to impress Red Bull with his performances and secure a seat alongside Max Verstappen. However, his underwhelming display led to concerns about his future with VCARB as the summer break approached, with fears of being dropped following discussions during the break.

On the other hand, Red Bull decided to extend Sergio Perez's contract in June, which suggests that Ricciardo might not have a chance with the leading team. Despite securing his seat for the remaining ten Grands Prix, it remains uncertain whether he can secure a contract extension for the next season, unlike Tsunoda.

Thus, in an interview with Motorsport.com, as reported by PlanetF1.com, Ricciardo revealed that signing with VCARB after a one-year gap was like a "bonus" since he thought he would never race again in Formula 1. He said:

“It’s not like I have an ‘I don’t care’ approach, but my perspective is that all this now is a bonus because I really thought at the end of 2022 maybe I would never race Formula 1 again.

“So to have this second chance, if there is going to be some pressure then OK, let’s take it on.

“Nothing can really hurt me anymore. I can’t control anything that’s going to happen. I can control what happens on track.

“I don’t even take it race by race. I take it session by session.”

Ricciardo has adopted a relaxed approach to his Formula 1 future, as he only focuses on his current performance. When asked by the media after the Austrian GP whether Red Bull's decision to deny him a seat later in the season might impact his chances of negotiating with other teams, he responded:

 “I don’t want to be casual about it, because obviously I care a lot, but I don’t know.

“Maybe I’m at a point where it’s just like what will be will be. And I’m just going to put everything I can on the table from an effort and performance [perspective].

“And if that is good enough to secure me a seat, great. If not, then OK. I did everything I could, but…

“I think in terms of the musical chairs stuff, if I get focused on that then I’m [in trouble]. I need to put all my attention here. Simple as that.”