Daniel Ricciardo and RB endured a dismal weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix. They bolted a series of upgrades onto their car, but seemed to go backwards in terms of performance.
For the first time all season, both cars were eliminated in Q1 as Yuki Tsunoda qualified 17th and Ricciardo took 18th. RB had had at least one car in Q3 at seven of the first nine races.
The order flipped around in the race as Ricciardo came home in P15 and Tsunoda slipped to a miserable P19. It will be little consolation, but the Australian narrowed the deficit in the race-day battle to 6-4.
Tsunoda remains 10 points ahead in the championship (19 vs nine) and dominant in qualifying (8-2). The four races that remain before F1’s summer break could have a huge bearing on deciding Ricciardo’s future.
RB reserve driver Liam Lawson is applying plenty of pressure. Lawson impressed the team when he got behind the wheel for five races in 2023 after Ricciardo broke his wrist.
The former Red Bull driver is out of contract at the end of the season, while RB have already activated an extension option in Tsunoda’s deal. There has even been talk that Ricciardo could lose his drive midway through the campaign.
Audi not an RB alternative for Daniel Ricciardo
Assuming Ricciardo wishes to continue in F1 regardless, he’ll be assessing his options elsewhere. That’s only sensible for a driver who faces an uncertain future at his current team.
The good news for the 34-year-old is that there are vacancies across the midfield. Each of the four teams below RB in the standings have at least one spot available for 2025.
One of those is Sauber, who have already signed Nico Hulkenberg and told Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu that they won’t be renewing their deals. The Swiss outfit are bottom of the constructors’ standings as the only pointless team, but Audi’s 2026 takeover makes them an attractive prospect.
Ricciardo previously raced alongside Hulkenberg at Renault back in 2019. But there won’t be a reunion at Sauber, according to Formu1a.uno.
They report that the eight-time race-winner is ‘unlikely to have any chance’ of getting the seat if RB choose Lawson. Audi are more focused on Carlos Sainz, and failing that Esteban Ocon or Pierre Gasly.
Martin Brundle wishes Ricciardo hadn’t made ’emotional’ decision
Red Bull gave Ricciardo an F1 lifeline around a year ago when it looked as if his time in the sport was done. Christian Horner turned to him to replace Nyck de Vries at the junior squad.
He began 2024 looking like a ‘dead-cert’ to replace Sergio Perez if he delivered. But instead, the campaign has been dominated by the noise around his RB future.
To an extent, it may be difficult for Ricciardo to draw motivation. He’s in the same position he was 12 years ago after failed moves to Renault and McLaren.
Scathing criticism from Jacques Villeneuve seemed to fire him up at the Canadian Grand Prix as he delivered his best Grand Prix result of the season (P8). But RB then tumbled to the foot of the field in Barcelona.
Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle wishes he’d never left Red Bull back in 2018. He’s called it an ’emotional’ and ‘flawed’ decision that has permanently damaged his F1 career.
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