Daniel Ricciardo Makes Red Bull Position Clear - 'Not Going To Give Diplomatic Answer'

Daniel Ricciardo expressed his desire to return to Red Bull Racing to reunite with Max Verstappen.

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; RB driver Daniel Ricciardo (3) walks in the paddock before the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Ricciardo has strongly expressed his desire to reunite with Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. Having previously partnered with the Dutch driver from 2016 to 2018, Ricciardo is keen to make his way back up to the Austrian team before he retires from the sport.

As Ricciardo approaches the end of his current tenure with VCARB, with no contract for 2025 yet in place, his future with Red Bull appears uncertain as the racing season progresses. This uncertainty is compounded by the recent underperformance of Sergio Perez at Red Bull. Despite the challenges faced by Perez, Red Bull has so far chosen to maintain its current driver lineup.

The decision to stick with Perez hinges not only on his post-summer performance in historically strong circuits like Baku and Singapore but also on emerging talents within the team, including reserve driver Liam Lawson.

During an interview with Racing News 365, the eight-time Grand Prix winner explained:

“Yeah. I’m not going to give a diplomatic answer. Of course, I would.

“I know I need to earn it. It’s not just going to be handed to me but if I earned it and the chance was there, of course, I’d love to do it. So we’ll see.”

Further reflecting on the fluid nature of F1 racing careers, Ricciardo is acutely aware of his current situation.

“Is any of it a reality? I would say no, until it is. But it can change,” he said.

“Even after Canada, and there were some things going on that weekend, and I was under some pressure, I had a good weekend.

“All of a sudden, ‘Oh yeah, he’s back’. But then if you don’t perform the next weekend, it’s back to square one. So it’s weekend by weekend at this rate. Do I want to be great every weekend? Sure.”

Beyond the track, Ricciardo’s preparations have become more focused. He insisted:

“I am fully motivated, I’m fully focused,” he said.

“I appreciate that I don’t know if I’ve got one year left, five years left, so I’m treating it like it is truly my last chance.

“I don’t want to hang the helmet up and be like, damn, I should have spoken up when I should have, I should have done that differently.

“So I’m in a good place because I’m comfortable within myself and I’m comfortable with the approach I’m taking and going all in.”