Daniel Ricciardo understands the intense scrutiny he faces at Red Bull but hasn’t felt compelled to seek reassurance about his future.
After the first five races of the 2024 F1 season, Ricciardo finds himself among the seven drivers yet to secure a single point. His recent outings have been plagued by misfortune, with the Australian forced into early retirements in the last two races.
In Japan, a collision with Alex Albon on the opening lap spelled instant disaster for both drivers. The subsequent race in China saw Lance Stroll collide with Ricciardo’s car, inflicting damage that prematurely ended his race.
Despite these setbacks, Ricciardo showcased a marked improvement during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. He outperformed Yuki Tsunoda in both qualifying and Saturday’s Sprint race.
However, neither Red Bull driver managed to finish the main event after Kevin Magnussen collided with Tsunoda’s car on Lap 30.
Before the Chinese Grand Prix, Tsunoda had enjoyed a performance edge over Ricciardo, particularly in qualifying. This raised questions about the Australian’s future at Red Bull, as the pressure to deliver intensified.
When quizzed about seeking assurance regarding his position at Red Bull, Ricciardo admitted, “I haven’t.”
“I’m obviously around the team every day. I would hear it from them, you know what I mean?
“I know that we’re not where we want to be but I think everything we keep going back to each other is like we’re still in this, we’re on the patch, we know what we’re doing.
“I haven’t had a great start to the season but I’m also not a rookie that’s trying to establish myself in the sport and prove something. I do have a track record. There is some proof there that I can do it.
“And the team believes this and knows I can, so it’s just trying to clean it all up and making sure we can get it.”
In China, Ricciardo demonstrated progress, particularly in his one-lap speed, although his strategic position was compromised under the Safety Car. Had he continued in the race, he might have finished further down the order.
Despite this setback, it marked another positive development, consistent with the trajectory outlined in Japan before his early retirement on the opening lap.
“I don’t want this to take a whole year, and I don’t expect it to because, on the one hand, I’m not a rookie. I’ve got experience, so that should also speak for something,” he elaborated.
“It’s not like I’m trying to show them something that they haven’t seen, we’re just trying to get me, I guess, in a place where I feel like I can deliver.
“There’s no additional pressure from ‘shit, am I going to have a seat next weekend’ or anything. It’s not anything like that.”
Nevertheless, Ricciardo understands the demanding nature of Red Bull’s program. His reinstatement to the team occurred following the mid-season dismissal of Nyck de Vries. With Liam Lawson poised for a chance, Ricciardo acknowledges the competition he faces.
“I’m also not naive, but I haven’t received any indication of that,” he responded when questioned about the possibility of the team dropping him mid-year.
“Again, it probably goes back to a little bit of maybe what I did in the past, but I think they know – even last year, I showed the signs of speed and everything that maybe I didn’t always show with McLaren.
“So we felt like we got that back out of me and okay, for whatever reason, it hasn’t quite been there to its fullest so far this year.
“But I think they know it’s there and also what we’re doing on the sim, they can see that it’s there, so we just now got to put it together.”
