After 2 Years of Humiliation, Daniel Ricciardo’s Fairytale Plans Set to Face Lando Norris’ Ruthless Challenge

When Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull to join Renault in 2019, he knew he was leaving behind frequent podiums and occasional race wins, all so he could no longer be a second driver. Although the Aussie got what he wanted, he saw an opportunity to move to an improving McLaren in 2021 and took it with both hands, looking to make that move stick and follow in the footsteps of his idol, Ayrton Senna. Unfortunately for him, not only was he met with an improving McLaren that didn’t suit his style, but also an improving Lando Norris.

After leaving Red Bull to avoid the second-driver role, McLaren proved to be the same, but without the benefits of podiums and race wins. Apart from his one-off race win at Monza in 2021, the two years he was alongside Norris were spent playing catch-up. Despite his “I never left” claims, parts of him—the ones that shone at Red Bull—never surfaced at McLaren, and his time there practically ended before it took off. Now that he’s returned to the Red Bull family and chasing his “fairytale ending,” Norris might again prove a hurdle.

Lando Norris is tipped to rain on Daniel Ricciardo’s parade

Following his premature sacking from McLaren, the Honey Badger came back “home” to Red Bull (as its reserve driver). While the first few months away from Formula 1 were good for him, spending time on the sidelines made him realize how much he still wanted to race. As soon as the revelation hit, he couldn’t hide the fact that he wanted it to be at Red Bull, calling it a “fairytale ending” to his career. 

When an opportunity at AlphaTauri (Red Bull’s sister team) opened up, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko offered it to Ricciardo after sensing a reignited spark in him. Now that he has a full-time seat in F1 again and is proving his worth, Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull is a step closer. Perez has been struggling in the seat this season, raising questions about his safety. Even though he is contracted until 2024, no seat at Red Bull is entirely safe, and Ricciardo is doing everything he can to get to it as soon as possible.

Read More: Lando Norris Reveals How Daniel Ricciardo’s Shocking Incompetence Proved as a Blessing for Him

He might be competing against a familiar foe, though. While discussing Perez’s possible departure, as quoted by Motorsportweek.com, former F1 driver Johnny Herbert stated via OLBG, “Who do you replace Perez with? They could look at Lando Norris.” Red Bull has this philosophy of putting its trust in younger drivers, and Norris definitely has that advantage over Ricciardo. Despite this, a recent revelation by Horner might give Ricciardo more hope for a Red Bull return.

Christian Horner rekindles the dream Daniel Ricciardo has

Red Bull isn’t a team known to give second chances, but it did for Daniel Ricciardo. From the looks of it, the Milton-Keynes team might be ready to forgo another one of its beliefs—putting its faith in younger talent. Red Bull made that exception for Perez in 2021, but since the Mexican started underperforming, more names to replace him have been going around. Horner has repeatedly stressed that Perez is entirely safe until 2024, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t looking elsewhere.

While discussing prospects for the second seat post-2024, Horner said, “I don’t see age as a barrier. If Checo delivers, we’ll keep going with Checo. If he doesn’t, for whatever reason, then it’s… but that won’t be just restricted to AlphaTauri drivers because there’s an awful lot of drivers up and down the pit lane that would like to drive a Red Bull car.” If Ricciardo keeps his form up, he might have a real shot at that seat, but if McLaren doesn’t improve in 2024, Norris could very well one-up Ricciardo once again.

Who do you think would be a better option for Red Bull at the moment: Lando Norris or Daniel Ricciardo?

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