Red Bull’s “Dream Scenario” Painted as Massive Risk for Daniel Ricciardo as Goal to Replace $33,000,000 Worth Sergio Perez Takes Huge Hit

Starting from the Hungarian GP, we will see a new yet familiar face on the grid. We all know that Daniel Ricciardo is back on the grid and he will be donning the AlphaTauri colors for the rest of the season. The Australian’s plan to take a year-long break and return when he is fully motivated might’ve been fast-tracked by the Red Bull bosses. However, we won’t hear any complaints from Ricciardo about it. The Australian looks delighted to be back and get an opportunity to prove himself. However, there are few who believe this move is an extremely risky one for Ricciardo and it might not help him prove his case for the Red Bull seat.

We are all aware Sergio Perez is swimming the same hot waters as Nyck de Vries was. However, the Mexican’s seat is protected on two fronts and one of them has major financial implications. Perez brings in a massive $33 million from social media alone. This financial aspect plays in Perez’s favor and so does Ricciardo driving a below-par AlphaTauri. Experts on the ESPN Unlapped podcast panel discussed this exact scenario and believe Ricciardo’s time at AlphaTauri might become counterproductive for him.

Nate Saunders said, “I think it’s a real risk and there are a few reasons why it’s a risk for Ricciardo. The first of which being is I think a full season with an improved AlphaTauri, whatever they’re going to be called next year, is a much better proposition than this is. He’s jumping in, it’s so difficult to look good in a bad team.”

“Weirdly, I think this is a perfect scenario for Red Bull. It’s good for Ricciardo, but I don’t think it’s as good as it would’ve been had he come back next year,” he concluded. 

Read More: Red Bull Faces Criticism as Daniel Ricciardo Replaces Nyck De Vries 

Ricciardo might be fulfilling one wish in 2023, but because of that, he might lose out on the bigger goal. This could potentially make Ricciardo lose out on his “fairytale ending” in F1.

Daniel Ricciardo wants to have a fairytale ending with Red Bull

The Australian became the third diver with hopes of returning to the grid, rejuvenated, and re-energized to take on the pressure of F1 once again. However, fate has fast-tracked his plans. Now, Ricciardo has taken the first step toward securing a fairytale ending to his career. The fairytale because of which he chose Red Bull.

Ricciardo once confessed, “If I could have a fairytale ending to my career, I’d love to do it at Red Bull. But we’ll see…”

However, there is a massive obstacle in Ricciardo’s way in the form of Perez. Despite his underwhelming performances in the last five races, Red Bull cannot replace him. The Austrian team will lose all the points earned by Perez in the constructor’s championship if they replace him mid-season.

WATCH THIS STORY: Will Daniel Ricciardo Get Swapped in for Sergio Perez at Red Bull? 

Although, 2024 will open up new opportunities. That’s Red Bull will give us a definitive answer as to how greatly they value Perez’s marketability.