By Joe Murphy
Let’s get this article started with the obvious; I don’t personally want this to be the case. However, it is entirely plausible that this could be the Australia’s final year in the elite level of this sport. Alternatively, it could also be a renaissance period.
Should car number three find itself being outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda, something not out of the realms of possibility, then it’s likely that Ricciardo won’t be retained for 2025.
At Red Bull, a strong year from Checo could see him retain his seat. In the sister team, Yuki is clearly a long term project. With Liam Lawson waiting in the wings, pressure is on for all of these men and one slip could open the door for another. The problem Ricciardo has is the expectations are higher because of what we have seen during his career to date.
Then, should Red Bull persist with youth, there would be no room for Ricciardo. In fact, the higher ups could argue that the seat would be better off with a young talent to give them experience before joining Max Verstappen with the leading team. The Australian would also be considerably more expensive than a younger driver, so that could free up funds for elsewhere.
So would there be any room at any other team? You’d argue that any of the top five teams wouldn’t opt for Daniel, especially if this year doesn’t go as planned. Alpine aren’t expected to go backwards in their selections. The extra team from 2026 and Andretti could open the door, but they’ve already indicated American talent will be the priority. Although it is clear from Drive to Survive and the F1 channel that Ricciardo is marketable. Hence this commands his high wage value.
One thing is for sure, Daniel Ricciardo needs a strong 2024. The vast majority will be hoping that he can find his former racing pedigree and get back to winning races and achieving podiums.
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 