Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo plan clear amid talk he could replace Lewis Hamilton

06 February 2024 , 17:28

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Daniel Ricciardo is gunning for a Red Bull return at Sergio Perez's expense (Image: Getty Images)

Helmut Marko hinted at a possible future with Red Bull for Daniel Ricciardo as he responded to a question about the Aussie possibly being a Mercedes target.

Ricciardo has been back under the Red Bull umbrella for more than a year now, after his McLaren axing. He was initially reserve driver for the energy drinks giant's two F1 teams before getting the nod to join Scuderia AlphaTauri mid-season.

He will continue to drive for that same team this year, though it has now been rebranded to Visa Cash App RB. But his true desire is to work his way back to the seat with the main Red Bull team that he left at the end of 2018 to join Renault.

Publicly, like much of the rest of the grid, Ricciardo's current deal expires at the end of this year. But Marko hinted that the Aussie's affiliation with Red Bull may be much stronger than that.

Questioned by F1 Insider about the prospect of Mercedes possibly targeting Ricciardo to replace the experience that will be lost when Lewis Hamilton completes his move to Ferrari at the end of the year, the 80-year-old replied: "Ricciardo still has a long-term contract and is not available."

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Max Verstappen is secure with Red Bull Racing until the end of 2028 so the seat being eyed up by Ricciardo is the one currently occupied by Sergio Perez. The Mexican finished second in the championship last year but was inconsistent over the course of the campaign.

As a result, there is plenty of scrutiny and speculation surrounding his future with the team as he enters the final year of his contract. Red Bull have made it clear they will be considering their options and, in the event of an early decision being made, Ricciardo will be one of the strong contenders for the seat.

Lando Norris was the most obvious external candidate, having been tracked by Red Bull for years, but the Brit signed a new long-term McLaren deal only last month. Charles Leclerc also committed his future to Ferrari, while Hamilton will be joining him from 2025.

Marko will be one of the key decision-makers when the time comes. One of his main responsibilities in his long-held role as an official adviser to Red Bull's F1 projects has been to look after the development of their contracted drivers and decide who will race for which team.

But, despite the heavy speculation that Perez faces an uphill battle to keep hold of his seat, the Austrian insists he can see the 34-year-old winning a new deal if he can perform. "If Checo has a good season, it is quite possible that the line-up in 2025 will also consist of Verstappen and Perez," he told German outlet Sport.

Daniel Moxon