F1 Shakeup Ricciardo Eyes Red Bull Promotion

Ricciardo to ‘keep his phone on’ over the summer

29/07/2024

Amidst speculation, Daniel Ricciardo remains on standby, possibly eyeing a major shift within Red Bull Racing.

Formula 1 may well be enjoying a well-deserved summer break, but Daniel Ricciardo has stated he will “keep his phone on.”

Red Bull’s patience with Sergio Perez now seems exhausted, with the Mexican dropping from second on the grid at Spa to eighth by the chequered flag.

Dr. Helmut Marko has openly threatened Perez’s position following the race (read more here).

Perez’s future now hangs by a thread, with Red Bull’s junior team, RB F1, pitting Liam Lawson against Ricciardo in a test day at Imola last Wednesday.

According to the latest paddock rumours, the focus is more on evaluating Liam Lawson than Daniel Ricciardo, who has reportedly been informed that he could replace Sergio Perez after the summer break.

Does this mean he has at least secured his place at RB F1 for the end of the season or even into 2025?

“I know nothing!” Ricciardo replied before leaving Spa, albeit with a broad smile.

“I’ll definitely keep my phone on. You never know what might happen. I’m just trying to secure my future in the sport at the moment—so we’re talking about next year.”

“If there’s any news, I’ll make sure the phone isn’t too far away. We’ll see what happens for 2025 or when we return.”

As for Max Verstappen, he hasn’t taken a firm stance on what Red Bull should do regarding Perez. He is primarily focused on his championship.

“Yes, I control what I can do. And as you see, making up places during races, that’s over for me. So, replacing Checo or not, I don’t think that’s our main issue right now. Our issue is that we need to find lap time. We’re going to analyse everything we’ve done very carefully.”

Verstappen finished fifth on Sunday, elevated to fourth place following the disqualification of George Russell.

“I think that was the maximum achievable. The speed was reasonable, but not great. Starting from eleventh place without a real speed differential, it really doesn’t work.”

F1 Shakeup Ricciardo Eyes Red Bull Promotion

F1 Shakeup: Ricciardo Eyes Red Bull Promotion? F1 Shakeup: Ricciardo Eyes Red Bull Promotion?

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