Daniel Ricciardo has offered a response to Helmut Marko’s criticisms following a lackluster beginning to the 2024 season.
Ricciardo has addressed Helmut Marko’s remarks, asserting that the Austrian’s assertion that he ‘has to come up with something soon’ did not bother him, despite a disappointing start to the campaign.
Despite a promising pre-season, many fans had high hopes for the newly rebranded VCARB team to contend at the forefront of the grid in 2024. However, after two Grand Prix races, the team’s top finish has been 13th place in Bahrain.
Ricciardo’s start to the season has been notably frustrating. Following a 13th-place finish with the aid of team orders in Bahrain, he experienced a spin in Jeddah the following weekend, resulting in a 16th-place finish at the end of the race.
Marko highlighted: “There’s a lot at stake this season for both Yuki and Daniel. Yuki’s qualifying was very good, and Ricciardo has to come up with something soon.”
Such remarks will not assist in easing the pressure on Ricciardo. The beloved Australian driver faces a season-long trial for a potential full-time comeback to Red Bull in 2025, yet his campaign has commenced on a challenging note.
“It’s not annoying,” remarked Ricciardo when questioned about Marko’s statements. “A big part of our job… the most important part is the driving but a big part is talking to you guys, hearing when things go well everything is talking positively and when they don’t, they don’t talk so positively.
“That’s part of it. The more I get into the sport the more I know I come back here because I believe I can do it. I believe I belong here and it’s really. When people ask ‘Do you have a point to prove’ or ‘Keep people happy’… I am here for myself because I know I can still do it.
“I do want to make people proud, the people that support me, but if someone says something, I know it already because I have told myself that, and I know what is expected from me. Of course, I want to be qualifying in Q3 and get the results I believe I can, but it’s tight, we are in such a tight midfield.”
If Ricciardo indeed harbors hopes of returning to Red Bull, his primary adversary might not be himself, but rather Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver presently holds the position that the 34-year-old aims to secure but has experienced an outstanding start to the season.
While Ricciardo’s campaign has commenced with disappointment, Perez has achieved consecutive second-place finishes, executing the supporting role for Max Verstappen impeccably.
