Is Daniel Ricciardo’s return to Red Bull a possibility?
Helmut Marko says Red Bull still believe Sergio Perez can “pull himself together” despite widespread reports of a potential driver swap with Daniel Ricciardo.
Instead, Marko suggested that it is the Australian who faces the risk of losing his job as the decision-makers desire VCARB to return to being considered a “junior team”.
Will Daniel Ricciardo or Sergio Perez be in the RB20 in Zandvoort?
There has been a lot of discussion recently regarding Red Bull’s driver situation. Initially, rumors suggested that Ricciardo’s future with the team was uncertain, and there were reports indicating Red Bull’s intention to promote reserve driver Liam Lawson to their junior team.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have both signed contracts with Red Bull for 2025, which would have marked the conclusion of Ricciardo’s tenure in the sport.
Since his last podium in Miami, Perez has only managed to score four points finishes. However, it was recently claimed that Ricciardo’s time with Red Bull is not over and that he is now in contention to replace Perez after the summer break.
PlanetF1.com understands there is a clause in Perez’s contract that allows for such a demotion, which it is being said is based on his points in the Drivers’ Championship.
If he’s more than 100 points behind Verstappen when F1 enters the summer break, they can swap him out. And with two races to go, he’s 137 points down.
Since Perez’s last champagne celebrations, McLaren and Mercedes have been outscoring the Woking team, and his lack of results is causing Red Bull to suffer in the championship.
However, despite recognizing the significance of the Constructors’ Championship, Marko suggested that the team is not prepared to give up on Perez just yet.
“The fact is that the Constructors’ Championship is very important for the team and all employees,” he told F1-Insider. “Because the better we do there, the more bonus payments each individual employee will receive.
Sergio Perez is in a position where he must perform and is facing significant pressure.
Despite being under pressure, Marko is still not prepared to swing the axe.
He said, “We anticipate Sergio to regain his composure once more. He has successfully navigated through similar crises on multiple occasions in the past.”
No other driver would compare favorably to Max either. Max is currently at the peak of his performance and continues to improve.
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Instead, the focus shifted back to Ricciardo and his position outside of the Red Bull organization, as the 81-year-old redirected attention.
There appears to be a higher likelihood of Ricciardo losing his position entirely rather than him replacing Perez.
Marko stated that all decision-makers have now confirmed that Racing Bull [VCARB] will revert to being a junior team in the future, primarily focused on training purposes.
“We have three races remaining before the summer break, after which we will convene and collectively reach decisions aligned with this objective.”
Based on the given criteria, it is highly likely that Lawson will be the top choice to team up with Yuki Tsunoda in the upcoming season.
Marko insisted that they would not let him go as Lawson had proven himself in five races in 2023. Lawson had stepped in for the injured Ricciardo, who had broken his hand during practice for the Dutch GP. Marko believed that Lawson deserved another opportunity with their team.
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