In Barcelona, Daniel Ricciardo gears up for the commencement of the Spanish Grand Prix in 2024.
Daniel Ricciardo has warned Sergio Perez that Red Bull “are expecting a bit more” from Max Verstappen’s team-mate amid mounting rumours of a mid-season F1 2024 seat swap.
Despite signing a new two-year contract with Red Bull as recently as last month, Perez is at risk of being dropped by the team after a poor run of form which has seen him score just 15 points across the last six races.
Daniel Ricciardo: Red Bull ‘expecting a bit more’ from Sergio Perez
PlanetF1.com reported at last month’s British Grand Prix that Red Bull are not ruling out a potential mid-season seat swap between Perez and Ricciardo, who is currently competing for junior team VCARB.
Perez’s revised deal includes a clause that grants Red Bull the option to replace the Mexican driver if he falls 100 points behind Verstappen by the summer break.
Perez is currently in the sixth position in the Drivers’ standings before the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend. This race will be the second-to-last before the August shutdown. He trails his team-mate by a margin of 137 points.
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Ricciardo secured the majority of his eight career triumphs with Red Bull from 2014 to 2018. However, his performance has been challenging ever since he rejoined F1 with VCARB (previously known as AlphaTauri) a year ago. He has only managed to finish in the points in three races out of the 20 grand prix starts he has made.
In the past few weeks, the 35-year-old has displayed better performance, managing to score in two out of the last four races held in Canada and Austria.
In Budapest, Ricciardo confessed to the press that Red Bull had higher expectations for Perez in the 2024 F1 season.
He expressed that the way we are portrayed in the media may influence our perspective, but the reality is that every driver experiences pressure.
“Despite their success, even those who are excelling have faced pressure to maintain their high performance.”
Therefore, the essence of my argument is that we can relate to this feeling. It is evident that I have received considerable attention this year, and currently, Checo is also in the spotlight.
“After my successful race in Montreal, I emphasized the importance of performing well consistently, stating that one’s worth is determined by their most recent race. Although a single impressive weekend may provide temporary relief, it can easily be overshadowed by subsequent performances.”
“Indeed, I am aware of the situation. I have come across statistics indicating that Max has significantly outperformed Checo in terms of points scored. Naturally, higher expectations are placed upon him as a result.”
However, this is simply the nature of the sport we are involved in. We experience it constantly and it is just a matter of who is currently in the spotlight. It is our responsibility to make an effort to block out the distractions.
“It can also be challenging at times.”
When people constantly inquire about your future, mentioning what you possess or lack, it can often bring about a negative or burdensome feeling.
However, based on my personal experience, including Checo who has also had a similar duration in Formula 1, I believe we have encountered it enough times to learn that it is important to concentrate on the engineering aspect, the car setup, and disregard the rest.
“You perceive the sound, but you must simply go along with it.”
After experiencing two challenging seasons alongside Lando Norris, Ricciardo was released by McLaren at the end of the 2022 season. However, he made a comeback to the Red Bull team as their reserve driver.
The individual, who is 35 years old, acknowledged that inquiries about a driver’s future can be unyielding but emphasized the importance of handling it.
He elaborated, “The pressure can be relentless, and I certainly had a taste of that during my time at McLaren.”
“You cannot truthfully claim that the media sessions are enjoyable or that they do not bother you or take away a little bit of your happiness.”
“But you must come to terms with it and make an effort to handle the situation.”
“I consistently strive to take the higher road when it comes to acknowledging that I signed up for this journey to become the best in the world at something. There will be occasions where I may not meet expectations, but I understand that it is part of the package.”
“So, you create your own bed, and occasionally you have to accept lying in it, even if the sheets are disheveled. It’s quite a profound statement; I think I’ll copyright it.”
According to Ricciardo, Red Bull maintains a culture focused on achieving results. He further emphasized that Perez has the ability to improve his situation if he manages to regain his exceptional performance.
He further stated, “As a member of the Red Bull family and having experience in this program, I understand that it is always focused on achieving results, even though I am no longer considered a junior.”
In my opinion, when we perform well, we position ourselves in the optimal position. If there is any progress or change, our accomplishments grant us the authority.
“There is a lot going on in the world of F1, but ultimately, it is within our power to determine our performance on the track and what the stopwatch reveals.”
In that scenario, we strive to manage what we can and it seems that we have considerable control over many aspects.
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