Daniel Ricciardo addresses fresh talk about his F1 future and what it holds for him, as Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda chime in.
Fresh rumours got into action post the F1 Azerbaijan GP about Red Bull and Visa Cash App RB dropping Ricciardo from as early as Singapore GP to give Lawson a chance. That was quickly doused in the pre-race press release which had the Australian’s name.
The rumours then kicked-off about Singapore being the last event for Ricciardo, which could still be true considering how Red Bull works and that a decision about the 2025 F1 season is to be taken post the grand prix during a large break of three weekends.
Ahead of the Singapore GP, Ricciardo was pretty chill about the situation. The Australian didn’t give 100% about his future, but noted that he knows how the game is and if he is dropped, there is not much he can do about as it will be a decision by Red Bull.
As of now, he is thinking more about 2025 and not rest of the season. He noted about the talks during the summer break and what he was told. He also took the moment to reflect on his career, especially how Red Bull gave him a second chance after the disaster at McLaren.
Regarding his future, while it will certainly hurt him, he thinks he will manage. He is not yet thinking about other championships just yet. His peers Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen shared their thoughts about Singapore being potentially his last.
What told in this period –
Ricciardo: “My first expectation is about next year, so that’s where I’m at the moment. Obviously, I can’t give too many details, but in terms of contract, yeah, our dates pretty much come into this window now. So basically, I do expect a yes or a no for ’25. Then, yeah, I’m aware of some talk and speculation about the rest of the season, but that [being replaced post-Singapore], for me, at the moment, I’m unaware of. So, the decision I expect is for next year. But obviously, crazy things have happened in this sport, so I’m also not going to stand here too boastful and confident that, ‘oh yeah’. Like, I believe I will be, but let’s see.”
What told before and now, if anything changed –
Ricciardo: “During the August break when they said ‘look, there won’t be any changes’, for the second half, and yeah…you treated the pre-summer break, those last two races, the way you did, treat the next handful of races that I have. It is really that and look I also know, looking at next year, it could in the middle kind of thing, yeah it could go one way, it could another. So, that’s why, I keep my head down and see what happens. They are maybe aware of it, things could be great, things could look different, so shit happens. These are things that, as you say, I think as early as probably Japan or Miami, I don’t know, there was, am I even going to rock up to the next race? I didn’t hear that from the team. But obviously there’s noise about that. You hear that one week, and then I put two good races together and Checo doesn’t, and I’m, oh, am I going to be in the Red Bull in the summer break?
“So yeah look, I think the main thing is try not to get too high, try not to get too low. At the end of the day, focus on myself. That’s where I probably learned as well from the past, not to get bogged down in too much other stuff, because that will always be there, that will always exist. Control the controllables. And that’s me putting my best foot forwards, and making sure I’m loving what I’m doing. As much as the year has had some highs and lows, and even now, standing here today there’s a lot of pressure and speculation. I still am happy to be here. Honestly, nothing has changed. I think some of the noise around has changed, saying: ‘Will I even see out the season?’ But after the August break selection period, then it was just: ‘OK, contract is this so we’re going to basically make the decision for next season after Singapore.’
“I’m aware of the other stuff that’s going around, so that’s why I’ve semi-addressed that, but from my understanding, it’s all for 2025. As for being dropped, I don’t think so. But I also don’t want to stand here and be the lawyer. Look, I would say no. But also, we know how this sport works, people have not seen through a season before, so it’s nothing new in some ways. So, I don’t want to also be like, ‘oh, 100% I’ll bet all my house on it’. I’ve been around too long. Honestly, I don’t know, like I really don’t know what is going to happen and I think all this stuff, what’s crazy about the sport is – and then this is me just now, just kind of talking a bit of shit – if I go and get a podium this weekend, and then I’m probably the hottest thing in the sport. That’s the kind of the merry-go-round we’re on. And I know it can change so quickly. I’m aware that things are hotting up, so to speak, but I just have to try and get my head down this weekend and kick some arse.”
If good, bas result is holding up –
Ricciardo: “I don’t wish to be in the middle, but…obviously I look back at my year and if you asked in me in January as to ‘how it would go?’ I would have answered, ‘better than this’. But it is not through lack of anything really, I really felt like I put everything into it this year. And, OK, sometimes the result doesn’t come out the way you wish or hope or doesn’t always translate to maybe the effort you put in. But that’s sport. You can always argue both ways. You’re going to have fans and people that see the good, but you’re going to have others that say I wasn’t consistent enough, or this or that. I’m always going to look at myself in the mirror and try to be as critical of myself as possible. And I wish I’d found some more consistency this year. But honestly, getting back into the sport after the McLaren period, I was more just looking for speed and proving to myself that I could still run at the front with these guys.
“And there have been moments of that. Obviously, I wish I could produce it every weekend, but if I take a little bit of heat away from myself, I think it’s also hard to do in a midfield battle. Every track kind of suits one or the other, and it’s hard to shine when you’re in such a tight fight. So that’s why I think all of us drivers have had moments this year, but it’s been hard for someone to be consistently, in the midfield battle, be ‘the guy’. So yeah, it has been tricky but if I made hard on them or not, that…at the end of the day, they are going to make a decision, at least I put everything I can, not feel like, ‘aah, I could have done little there’, felt like I have applied myself. The rest is in their hands.”
Thought process, if dropped –
Ricciardo: “I definitely have fallen back in love with the sport post 2022, like I have still enjoyed the season even though I haven’t stoked with every weekend. I have enjoyed going racing, I have enjoyed…yeah competition again and driving. From that point of view I still have a lot of love for the sport, but I also have to remind myself, ‘OK, why did I come back?’ It was to try and be at the front again. I enjoy it. But when you’re not in the points, for sure it’s less enjoyable. I’m also 35, I’ve been at the front, I’ve experienced the champagne. It’s like I don’t want to hang onto something that might not ever come to fruition again. I’ve certainly had those conversations in my head. So yeah. I wouldn’t say that I would jump at any opportunity next year, that’s not the case. I’d probably say peace [out].”
What’s next if –
Ricciardo: “IndyCar still scares me! Look, I’ve thought about it because I also thought about it a couple years ago when I knew that I wasn’t going to start the ’23 season. But I know I’m still a competitor. I know I still have a lot of fire in me, but maybe that itch is scratched doing something else. I don’t know. We’ll see. It’s hard, like even talking about, just being in the sport and fighting for maybe a 10th place every now and then. It’s maybe the same with doing another series. And no disrespect to other series, I’m a fan of, NASCAR and a lot of other forms of motorsport, but because I’ve been there and experienced the highest of highs, will I get true fulfilment doing something else and no guarantee I’ll be awesome doing something else? Is that going to actually scratch the itch and give me what I want? I don’t know.
“I’d probably say more no than yes, but these are things I’ll think about if I’m not in this position. Out of racing, yeah, because I have already experienced a little bit, I don’t have that fear of…’lets say not swiping into the paddock’. I have loved it, it is great but look I have also made friends with other athletes over the years who have been in similar position, what’s to have a phase like this in life, there’s a lot to do. There’s a lot of opportunities, so it is not anything like I am scared of, but yeah, I am still standing here today, I would still love to compete, would love to do it. But yeah, if that’s not the case then, obviously…lets see what happens.”
What others say –
Yuki Tsunoda: “Of course not. I can’t say anything. I mean, probably I don’t really… Yeah… I don’t know. To be honest, it’s just speculation. I don’t know anything about it. So, yeah, it’s up to them. It’s not up to me at all. I just have to focus to what I can do. I respect him a lot. And yeah, I mean, we see how it goes, but I like him. Obviously, we all want to see him racing as well. So yeah, it doesn’t matter if he deserves it or not. The thing is, we want to see. But yeah, he achieved a lot of things as well at the same time. So let’s see.”
Max Verstappen: “Daniel is a great guy. I think he has proven himself as a great Formula 1 driver. He’s a friend of mine. And I think, in general, always being in this kind of position is never nice. But at the other end also, I don’t think he has to feel sorry for himself. Sometimes things maybe don’t work out the way you want them in certain stages of your career, but you still have achieved a lot more than anyone could ever dream of in their lives. So even if this is, let’s say, the last race or whatever, you can still look back at something amazing that not many people can achieve and do something else maybe in life also. I mean, why not? Many more… other race series or not. Maybe just chill back at the farm.
“Have a lot of fun. I mean, he’s a great guy. So, you know, for me, yeah, it doesn’t really matter or not if you deserve to be here. A lot of people deserve to be here. Some don’t deserve to be here. That’s life also, you know, in all kinds of sports. It’s how it goes. Very difficult to comment on these things because you cannot look within the team as well, right? I mean, OK, from the outside, maybe people always expect more or wish for more. It’s just very tough in the midfield, I would say, to have a great run of form also. Yeah, I don’t know, it’s just, I guess everyone hopes for more. I think also himself, right? You always want to be better, naturally. Every year you want to become a better driver and sometimes that works a bit better than other years.”
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