Helmut Marko Puts Daniel Ricciardo In His Place With Clear VCARB Statement

Saajan Jogia | Aug 12, 2024

5th placed qualifier Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Visa Cash App RB speaks to the media after qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 08, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. / Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Daniel Ricciardo has been corrected by Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko on his stance about VCARB (RB) being a feeder team for Red Bull. Marko clarified that VCARB was a junior team meant to elevate budding racing talent to the premier class of motorsport.

Ricciardo was onboarded onto VCARB (known as AlphaTauri last year) in the previous season after spending nearly a year away from Formula 1. He replaced underperforming driver Nyck De Vries, with the aim of elevating the team's performance and mentoring his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.

The Australian driver wished to retire from the sport after racing for Red Bull again. He hoped last year that an impressive show of performance would improve his chances of securing the seat alongside Max Verstappen, especially after considering Sergio Perez's underperformance in the second half of the season, which raised questions about his Red Bull future.

However, 2024 didn't get off to a good start for Ricciardo, as he was outperformed by his teammate on most race weekends. Red Bull also extended Perez's contract for two more years, thereby reducing the chances of Ricciardo's promotion to Red Bull.

Despite the experience Ricciardo brought to the team, his performance slump sparked doubts about his role at VCARB. He initially believed the team was a stepping stone to Red Bull, but admitted that if it truly felt like a junior team, he wouldn’t be comfortable staying, especially at 35 years old.

Considering his comments, Marko corrected him by suggesting that VCARB was always meant to be a junior team. He told ESPN:

"It was a clear statement from the shareholders that Racing Bulls (VCARB) is a junior team and this route will be how the future will look."

Marko then highlighted the reason Ricciardo was selected last year, and how his inconsistent performance has closed the doors for him at Red Bull. He added:

"Daniel was put in the car and if he would have been significantly faster than Yuki Tsunoda there was an idea to bring him back to Red Bull Racing.

"But he also had this up and down. So, so far, he didn't fulfil the criteria to be a Red Bull Racing driver."

Ricciardo's performance sparked significant speculation leading up to the summer break, with questions about whether he might be ousted or if Red Bull was considering replacing him with Perez. However, after a meeting during the break, both drivers were given the green light to continue for the remainder of the season.