F1 | Red Bull: Perez confirmed, puts Ricciardo at risk

In Red Bull there are two seats for three drivers. Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson know that one of them will leave the team at the end of the season, given that for all of them the prospect of a 2025 in the reserve role is not part of the plans. Obviously the one who is in the best position is Tsunoda, whose renewal announcement is expected shortly, within the weekend of the Spanish Grand Prix.

The growth confirmed in the first third of the season has put the Japanese player in an excellent position on the market, with requests also arriving from external teams. Tsunoda hoped until the end for a promotion to Red Bull, but Perez’s confirmation closed the doors.

At the same time, Helmut Marko however returned requests from other teams (including Audi) to the sender, confirming his intention to have Yuki available if Perez does not live up to expectations in 2025. The feared sudden ‘swaps’ of Marko (who on several occasions during the season made the switch between a Red Bull and a Racing Bulls driver) are a variable that must always be taken into account.

Red Bull had to change the plans that were on the table on the eve of the season, in which the prediction was the return of Daniel Ricciardo alongside Max Verstappen. The Australian has so far disappointed expectations, and the first to admit it is Daniel himself.
“I achieved an extraordinary result in Miami – underlined Ricciardo – but the rest of my season was not exactly what I expect from myself. I haven’t done enough to make my hair stand on end and I know that has to be my goal, I have to try to do that, but I will still be very happy if I have the chance to be here next year.”

Ricciardo’s season could go from the (faded) dream of returning to the wheel of a Red Bull to the nightmare of having to leave Formula 1. The possibility is real, because if Helmut Marko and Christian Horner decided to confirm Ricciardo, they would end up losing Lawson .

Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Red Bull GmbH, with Liam Lawson, reserve driver of the Visa Cash App RB F1 team

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Without a starting wheel, the twenty-two year old New Zealander can free himself from the Red Bull contract, and if he were to find an alternative, he would be in a position to say goodbye to the team that has supported him throughout his career. It is likely that Red Bull will take time to give Ricciardo one last opportunity, but it will also be precious time for Lawson, who can use it to find a plan ‘B’ to put on Marko’s table.

At the moment the most concrete scenario seems to be that of a definitive farewell to Ricciardo, who has so far consistently been behind Tsunoda in the internal competition at Racing Bull. The risk of seeing Lawson end up on an opposing team would be a joke for Marko, as was already seen two years ago with the Piastri-Alpine deal. The opportunity offered to Ricciardo is over, Daniel will need a decisive change of direction before the summer break, vice versa his fate is already written.