Daniel Ricciardo is revelling in the Red Bull “chaos” knowing he could be axed or even return to the main team, but it is a case of no hard feelings if they show him the door.
Red Bull are set to decide over the summer break which follows the Belgian GP whether to continue with Sergio Perez for the second-half of the season, the Mexican having fallen into an alarming slump in form despite signing a new Red Bull deal ahead of the Canadian GP.
Daniel Ricciardo facing Red Bull return or exit?
PlanetF1.com has learned that Ricciardo and current Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson will take part in a VCARB filming day at Imola on July 31, with an eye to monitoring the pace of both drivers who are considered the contenders to replace Perez if Red Bull make that call. If they do not, Ricciardo comes under threat from Lawson.
Red Bull driver programme boss Helmut Marko recently revealed a desire from shareholders for VCARB to return to its roots as a junior team, with Lawson’s Red Bull contract reportedly freeing him to hold talks with other teams if Red Bull do not give him a seat by the end of September.
Ricciardo therefore finds himself in a wild situation where he could return to Red Bull for the second-half of F1 2024 or be without a seat completely, but if Red Bull decide to give him his marching orders, Ricciardo will not be going on the offensive.
“Red Bull were always firm but fair with me,” he told Mirror Sport. “If they were to get rid of me, I’d be like, ‘Okay, it’s for a reason’.
“I know they would never just get rid of me if I was doing really well, so everything is within my control.
“And I think that brings me so much comfort as well, that they are so performance-driven that there’s no other bulls**t – it’s up to me. They definitely make me feel that way and that, if I do well, who knows what could happen?”
But rather than feeling the weight of pressure, Ricciardo said he thrives in the “fun chaos” that is Red Bull and their approach.
“What a crazy existence!” Ricciardo declared on this potential all-or-bust situation he faces.
“I kind of just laugh at it. I do take it seriously and I am fighting not only for something better but also just for my seat and my place in the sport. So it does come with a lot of that, but I just enjoy being back in this position and having something to fight for.
“I enjoy the crazy, fun chaos of the Red Bull family and the way they go about their business. It’s all I’ve ever known – chaos in this team feels comfortable, where chaos in another team was quite unsettling. I just feel like I’ve been here before and I’m okay with it.”
Major changes coming to Red Bull F1 line-ups?
👉 F1 driver sackings: The most brutal firings and bitter disputes in F1 history
👉 Sergio Perez given clear Belgian GP target in potential final Red Bull race
So Ricciardo is comfortable with the chance that “maybe” this is his last race in the Red Bull fold, but that is not where his mind is at as he prepares to start the Belgian GP from P13.
“Maybe it is [my last race], but I certainly don’t sit here today believing that it is,” said the Aussie. “It’s hard for me to already have a farewell speech if I just don’t believe it.
“It’s probably where my head is at as well – I’m realistic, but I’m confident that I’ll deliver again this weekend and help my chances. We’ll hit pause on that one.”
Perez boosted his chances of keeping Red Bull on his side by securing a front-row start in Belgium, his comments afterwards suggesting he is not entertaining the idea that this could be his last race as he mentioned delivering a strong race at Zandvoort after the summer break if this one does not go to plan.
Asked by media including PlanetF1.com how satisfied he was with his qualifying performance, considering all the noise about his Red Bull future, Perez replied: “From my point of view, it doesn’t change anything.
“I’ve always said it’s not where we are now, it’s how you ride the waves and where we finish in Abu Dhabi.
“I mean, there are a lot of drivers that haven’t been able to maximize their performance lately, but obviously, there’s continuity on my side, it has been quite a bit higher.
“It doesn’t change anything from my point of view. I think Sunday is a new day, a new opportunity. It will have been the same if I was knocked out in Q2, you know, tomorrow’s a new opportunity to do better and it’s the way I see it. The race is what really counts.
“And if I don’t have a good race, I will try to have a good one in Zandvoort.
“But it’s how it is, this is a sport and sometimes it goes your way, sometimes you have to fight and nothing goes in your direction. But I think it’s just the nature of this.”
Read next – Daniel Ricciardo v Liam Lawson: Red Bull shoot-out planned at Imola
