Daniel Ricciardo is currently standing on the brink of a massive decision about his F1 career. The Australian has had to endure some ups and downs in the last year ever since McLaren dropped him to take up Oscar Piastri. While he never got another regular racing role instantly, he joined Red Bull as a reserve driver. Now, the 35-year-old has landed a seat at VCARB since Nyck deVries had to take the exit after a series of unimpressive finishes. But Ricciardo’s records at VCARB are not quite awe-inspiring either–so, he might get swapped for Liam Lawson next year.

Liam Lawson played the role of a five-race substitute for Ricciardo in the last season. Interestingly, he fared way above what others expected of him at the Singapore GP by scoring his maiden Championship points at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. And Lawson has a contract with Red Bull that allows him to become a free agent and approach any of its rival squads for a seat if he does not get an F1 contract before September. So, RBR Chief Advisor Helmut Marko has claimed that his team will offer the New Zealander a role soon, indicating that Ricciardo’s time in F1 is running out.

This has led to questions on why Daniel Ricciardo, an 8-time F1 Grand Prix winner, could not fare well at Red Bull’s sister team. To answer this question, Peter Windsor said on his livestream, “He’s not in Red Bull, he’s a, you know, whatever it is Visa CashApp and that’s not the same. He’s got in the other car a very, very fast, reflexy, quite edgy racer, Yuki Tsunoda, and that’s his benchmark. Those two things combined mean that there are moments when he’s having to push harder than he would want to.”

So, Windsor labeled how Ricciardo is under constant pressure at VCARB because of his fast teammate Tsunoda and that the Aussie’s car is not at par with the Red Bull racecars. After explaining all of this, Windsor said, “That’s affecting his driving a bit and he’s starting to overdrive in those situations and not get the best from the car.” With a probable exit from VCARB on the cards for him, Daniel Ricciardo might not even get a contract at any of the other teams at 35. So, what did he say about the possibility of retiring from F1?

Daniel Ricciardo insists he is “not ready” for F1 exit

Daniel Ricciardo’s current contract with VCARB lasts till the end of this year. And after this stint, he hoped to get into Red Bull as Sergio Perez’s replacement since the Mexican has not fared particularly well. However, Perez’s Mexican billionaire sponsor Carlos Slim intervened and now, Christian Horner’s army has confirmed that Checo will drive for Red Bull for now. On the other hand, Helmut Marko’s promise to Liam Lawson about a seat at VCARB leaves Daniel Ricciardo out of the Red Bull-VCARB equation completely.

If the Australian does not get a regular racing seat next year, he will have to bow out of F1. So, what did he say about his imminent retirement? According to a recent interview, Ricciardo said, “I’ve had a more than 10-year career in a sport I know many can only dream of. I would probably go to bed with that thought. But inside, I feel like I’m not ready.” Thus, Ricciardo has made it clear that he still has the hunger for F1 wins left in him.

Does this mean he is already trying to approach other teams for a 2025 racing deal? What do you think? Share in the comments.