Helmut Marko: Daniel Ricciardo Doesn’t Have “Any Hope of Securing a Seat at Red Bull” if He’s Not “Clearly Faster Than Yuki [Tsunoda]”

Let’s rewind time and go back a couple of years in F1. Sebastian Vettel is still driving in F1 and Daniel Ricciardo is driving for McLaren. Alas, the time at McLaren seems to have crushed the driver inside Ricciardo, who’s no longer performing at the levels that we’re used to seeing. And now, Helmut Marko has come to suggest that the chances of Ricciardo securing a Red Bull seat are super slim as Yuki Tsunoda blocks his way. 

Daniel Ricciardo was put in an F1 car just 6 months after he decided to take a break. Things looked hopeful for the Australian, who got his smile back after joining AlphaTauri Midseason at the expense of Nyck De Vries. Ricciardo impressed everyone at the Pirelli tire test and that was the moment the stars started aligning for him. However, the performances last year were nothing to write home about. 

The start of 2024 has been similar, with Daniel Ricciardo being easily beaten by Tsunoda. The Japanese Driver currently has 7 points to his name whereas Ricciardo has none. It was rumored that Helmut Marko gave Ricciardo the ultimatum to improve on the performances at the upcoming two races, one was Japan and the other was China. 

According to kleinezeitung.at, Helmut Marko was asked about the expectations that he had from Daniel Ricciardo and what exactly they were. Helmut Marko said, “The claim to him was that he clearly has to be faster than Yuki if he wants to hope for the seat at Red Bull. This has not been the case so far, even if, as I said, it was scarce. You will see how this develops.”

Also, F1 Pundit Andrew Benson commented on Daniel Ricciardo’s form and how he could be at a high risk of being sacked.

Andrew Benson on Daniel Ricciardo’s Seat

Helmut Marko hasn’t only been giving Ricciardo a warning but is also surprised by the lack of pace. Why Tsunoda is performing brilliantly, and why Ricciardo isn’t able to deliver the same sort of results is shocking to Marko. And now, Andrew Benson who spoke with BBC, has come out to answer the question of which driver is most at risk of being sacked this season. 

Andrew Benson said, “This can happen any season in F1, and the people most at risk at the moment are Daniel Ricciardo at RB and Logan Sargeant at Williams. Ricciardo has had a difficult start to the season and Red Bull are notoriously unforgiving with their drivers. Since returning to F1 midway through last year, the Australian has gone from being talked about as a potential replacement for Sergio Perez at the senior team, to apparently being at risk of being dropped in favor of reserve driver Liam Lawson at the junior outfit. If Ricciardo’s performances don’t improve soon, the pressure on him – already high – will become intense. No one would be surprised if Lawson was in the car sooner or later in that scenario.”

What do you make of Daniel Ricciardo’s performances since he made the comeback?