Daniel Ricciardo Lets Slip “Potential” Development as Max Verstappen’s Teammate for 2025

In F1, Daniel Ricciardo‘s potential return to Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen in 2025 has sparked intense speculation. After their intra-team feud, Ricciardo left for Renault (now Alpine) in 2019, while the Dutchman continued with Red Bull, solidifying his status as a top driver. But now, with Ricciardo back under the Red Bull umbrella with their junior F1 team, there have been a lot of rumors about his future, with the senior team’s boss, Christian Horner, hinting at Red Bull’s interest.

More importantly, the Honey Badger’s accidental revelation of discussions regarding a comeback has set tongues wagging. Although, he emphasized that nothing is confirmed. Still, only the thought of a Ricciardo-Verstappen reunion has fans eagerly awaiting further developments, injecting an extra dose of excitement into the F1 narrative.

In the 2018 F1 season, the Australian driver showcased his star quality at Red Bull Racing. He secured two victories and 11 top-five finishes despite suffering from 8 DNFs due to reliability issues. Though hampered by setbacks, his remarkable performance positioned him as a top driver. Without the reliability woes, Ricciardo could have posed a severe challenge to teammate Max Verstappen. And probably this is the thought that could bring back Ricciardo back into the main Red Bull team.

However, Christian Horner hasn’t publicly confirmed Daniel Ricciardo as the 3-time world champion’s teammate. But Ricciardo remains optimistic about his potential step up. At the Thursday press conference in Australia, the home hero said, “I don’t buy into any of the stories, if you will. I know, obviously, what my position is in the team. I know, let’s say, some potential things that could happen if I do really well. But that’s all just… It’s like everything you know. I think any team you’re with, you know if you have a really strong season it could lead to maybe something different or increase your position where you currently are.”

He also revealed where his focus lies right now, by saying, “But for us, my objective is to drive this car as good as I can. I think now getting back into a car I’m definitely not looking too far ahead. So am I thinking about the Red Bull seat that you speak of? No. I know if I do some really good results, maybe then that can present itself potentially”.

So we all got to know what the 8-time Grand Prix winner has to say about the possibility of him driving for the reigning champions next year. But how about we hear about the same from someone else? Someone who actually has the power to bring Red Bull’s 2018 driver pairing back.

Here is how Sergio Perez holds Daniel Ricciardo’s fate in his hand

Sergio Perez finds himself on thin ice, needing to elevate his performance to solidify his future with the team. Meanwhile, the Dutch driver remains laser-focused on clinching his fourth consecutive world title. Christian Horner recently emphasized that Checo’s fate rests squarely on his shoulders, acknowledging him as the current right choice for Red Bull Racing. But let’s just say he fails to impress the higher-ups at Red Bull, we may know who would be Horner’s first choice to fill the seat.

“I think he [Perez] knows what he’s got to do,” Horner was quoted by Sports Illustrated. “He’s been around the sport long enough, and he’s got enough experience.”

The Red Bull team principal also highlighted that drivers from rival teams had expressed interest in joining Red Bull. He said, “You can imagine that when you’ve got a car that’s won all bar one race, it’s pretty appealing to any driver on the grid.” He emphasized the allure of their dominant car, which has won all but one race, making it appealing to any driver on the grid.

Knowing their position in the sport, Red Bull is going to pick crème de la crème for their roster. And now, it is up to the drivers as to who will step up at the right time.

Read More: Red Bull ‘Desperately Wants Daniel Ricciardo Back’ to Replace Sergio Perez in the Summer Break