Daniel Ricciardo has conceded that the thought of replacing Sergio Perez at Red Bull after the summer break had crossed his mind. The Mexican driver has not had the best run this season. There have been far too many races where the driver has been found wanting in terms of results.
Even in the last race before the summer break, Perez had a poor run that saw him tumble down the grid and even finish behind Max Verstappen who did not even start the race in the top 10. The Mexican has struggled throughout the season as the competition has increased.
Heading into the summer break, it almost appeared like a done deal that Red Bull was going to replace Perez. The leading contender when it came to replacing the Mexican was Ricciardo. Surprisingly, that did not happen and what we have is a scenario where Perez will continue to be a part of the team post the summer break.
Talking to Sky Sports on the eve of the F1 Dutch GP, Ricciardo said that the thought of replacing Sergio Perez had crossed his mind. He said:
“I didn’t rule it out. I thought maybe something could happen but I also didn’t expect it or get my hopes up. I was aware ‘maybe something changes’, but I just thought: ‘Do what I’m doing and if I get a call, I get a call.’ I didn’t get a call but that’s what I mentally prepared myself for.”
The Australian sounded quite confident as he claimed that he knew he’d have a seat somewhere on the grid if he kept performing at a high level. He said:
“I have every opportunity in front of me and that’s the beauty, it’s up to me. Yes, there is always pressure from myself, and that of the Red Bull system, but I know if I do a job, I will have a seat and somewhere to race.”
Daniel Ricciardo on Helmut Marko claiming Liam Lawson gets a seat in 2025X2025X2025X2025X
Daniel Ricciardo was questioned on recent comments made by Helmut Marko where the Austrian claimed that Liam Lawson would drive for the brand in 2025. This could possibly mean that Lawson replaces either Perez or Ricciardo as both Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen have a contract for 2025.
When questioned about this, Ricciardo was quite complimentary of Lawson as he said that Lawson deserves to be in F1 and he showed it last season. The Australian said (via the aforementioned source):
“I got to see Liam drive the car last year and I think he did a great job and is worthy of a seat on the grid. In a way, I’m happy for him. If he’s guaranteed a seat on the grid next year, that’s good because he is a deserving driver. What that means for me is probably a bit unknown but if I perform, they will find a spot for me somewhere!”
Daniel Ricciardo will be hoping to put together a strong run in the upcoming races. If he can show Red Bull that there is still latent performance, he could end up replacing Sergio Perez before the season even comes to an end.