Over time, Red Bull has curated an image of itself that is not appealing to a lot of young drivers. In fact, some might believe, most young drivers with or without champion-ship winning pedigree would rather avoid the Austrian team. Despite their incredible academy and promotional setup to the front of the gird, it’s a ruthless ladder that many fail to climb. Talented drivers like Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon have faced the brunt of it. However, for the first time in its history, the Milton Keynes outfit broke the norm to re-sign Daniel Ricciardo and give him a seat.

Pierre Gasly found out the hard and long way how Red Bull does not re-hire drivers they’ve already given a chance. Gasly stayed with AlphaTauri until 2022 after his demotion in 2019 in hopes of a re-promotion. However, the Frenchman paved the way for Nyck de Vries after joining Alpine which in turn paved the way for Ricciardo. Nonetheless, no one could’ve imagined Red Bull would go against the norm for the first time since their inception. Tom Clarkson and 1996 champion Damon Hill discussed this scenario on the latest episode of the F1 Nation podcast.

Hill said, “Lots of people have been there and failed. This is why it’s particularly interesting that they’ve decided to give Daniel Ricciardo a second life which is almost unheard of.”

Clarkson countered, “That’s the point, isn’t it? They’re not replacing Nyck de Vries with the next Max Verstappen. They’re replacing him with a guy who’s won eight grand prix, he’s 34 years old, he’s coming into the terminal stages of his career. It’s a completely different business plan for Red Bull. We’ve never seen this from them before.”

This scenario showcases the relationship Ricciardo has with his now-current employers. However, Ricciardo might still become a victim of Red Bull’s politics. Well, Ricciardo is unafraid!

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Daniel Ricciardo is unafraid of Red Bull’s politics and his seat as he finds solitude during the hiatus

Many F1 entities predicted Ricciardo might never race again, not in 2024 and not in the future. However, the Red Bull hierarchy threw all those predictions out of the window by giving him the AlphaTauri seat. However, this does not make the Australian driver untouchable. If Ricciardo does not perform in an already struggling AlphaTauri he might get the boot again. Such is the cut-throat nature of Red Bull.

However, Ricciardo is unafraid as he made peace with the idea of retirement with reasons he found during his hiatus. Speaking to the media, Ricciardo confessed, “I’ve had a really nice year, I’ve done things. Life after racing is totally fine and I have other hobbies and interests. I don’t think that’s a discouraging thought for me.”

Now, we are not sure what the future holds for Ricciardo but whatever it is, we can rest easy knowing he will be happy.

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