F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo Reveals Stance After Helmut Marko Criticism - "I Am Here For Myself"

The VCARB driver has been under the scanner for a drop in performance in Saudi Arabia.

VCARB driver Daniel Ricciardo has revealed his position after coming under fire from Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko for starting in P14 and finishing two positions below teammate Yuki Tsunoda in P16 in Saudi Arabia. However, the Australian driver has emphasized that he is racing for himself and is confident in achieving personal targets.

Key Takeaways:

• Daniel Ricciardo responds to criticism from Red Bull's Helmut Marko regarding his Saudi Arabia performance, expressing confidence in achieving personal goals despite finishing P16.
• Ricciardo faces pressure to step up his game alongside teammate Yuki Tsunoda as they aim for success this season.
• Ricciardo, eyeing a return to Red Bull, emphasizes his self-belief and commitment to personal improvement amidst the competitive midfield.

As Ricciardo prepares to enhance his performance this season to demonstrate his suitability for the Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen in 2025, Marko cautioned that there is much on the line for him and teammate Yuki Tsunoda if they fail to step up their game. Revealing on Speekweek, Marko wrote:

"There is a lot at stake this season for both Yuki and Daniel.

"Yuki's qualifying was very good and Ricciardo will have to come up with something soon."

After replacing Nyck de Vries last season, Ricciardo rejoined the F1 grid with the Faenza-based outfit, formerly AlphaTauri. He aims for a comeback to Red Bull in the future, the team he intends to race with before retiring from the sport. When asked by the Australian GP media whether the pressure built up by Marko was annoying, he said:

"It's not annoying.

"The most important part of our job is the driving but a big part of it is talking [to the media].

"When things go well, everyone is talking positively and when they don't [go well], they don't talk so positively."

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In his pursuit of performance that could fulfill his Red Bull dream, Ricciardo revealed that he isn't trying to prove himself to others. He added:

"I know that I came back here because I believe I can do it, I believe I belong here.

"When people ask 'do you have a point to prove' or 'keep people happy'... I am here for myself because I know I can still do it.

"I do want to make people proud but if someone says something, I know it already because I have told myself that, and I know what is expected.

"So, of course, I want to be qualifying in Q3 and get the results I believe I can, but it's tight, we are in such a tight midfield.

"In Bahrain in quali, I knew I didn't quite put the lap together I should have and I put my hand up for that but that's the difference from maybe P14 to Q3.

"End of Q1 in Saudi, P9 to P16 was less than a tenth so you can very quickly look like a hero or not.

"That's where every tenth counts and that's where I look to myself first."

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