Daniel Ricciardo has returned to Red Bull after tumultuous years at Renault and McLaren, winning only one race in four years. After years, his fans saw him happy with a big grin at his homecoming. And even though he is returning only as the third driver, behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, it is a blessing in disguise for him to re-evaluate his career.

However, his return led many fans to believe that he might be given a shot at the actual seat if the Australian impresses management. While not only does this not stand to be the case given the preference order of the test drivers, the honey badger might also not be seen as a long-term replacement for any of the main drivers, even Sergio Perez, according to Sky Sports commentator, David Croft.

The famous commentator and observer also highlighted that Ricciardo will not be the team’s preference over Max Verstappen if he decides to leave the team at the age of 31 at the end of his 2028 contract. As quoted by Crash.net, he said, “I hate to say this, and I think Daniel’s a fantastic bloke… but he’s not the future of Red Bull, mainly because of age..”

“I think they’re two very different styles of driver. They’re both capable of winning races, but they win races in very different ways”. Crofty said, speaking about Ricciardo filling in for Perez.

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Currently, Red Bull has a huge talent pipeline, with several of its racers competing in the F2 and F3 classes. In F2 itself, it has Dennis Hauger, Liam Lawson, Jak Crawford, Ayumu Iwasa, Isack Hadjar, Enzo Fittipaldi, and Zane Maloney, who can give a good show for money.

Max Verstappen’s departure is imminent?

Red Bull signed a massive contract with Max Verstappen that will last until 2028, which will also see the Dutchman driving in the era of new power units and new teams. But there’s a threat for Red Bull given the driver’s interest in competing elsewhere with his father, Jos Verstappen.

Speaking about Verstappen’s early possible departure, Crofty said he couldn’t believe it. He added, “When Max spoke at the end of the season about the possibility of stopping at 31, it was a big revelation for me. He is already thinking about when he stops running. If he thinks that, then Red Bull must think so too,” ringing an alarm for the team. 

“Personally, I would try to find someone else to replace him in 2024, if Checo is not the solution,” he concluded, dismissing Sergio Perez as an heir.

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For now, Max seems to be well-settled at Red Bull. But even if the championships keep coming in for the team, it should hardly impact Verstappen’s decision, if made already, given his display of contentment after fulfilling his championship dream.