Sneaky Daniel Ricciardo Eyes Sergio Perez’s Misfortunes to Make F1 Return

Daniel Ricciardo got a pleasant homecoming welcome from Red Bull. After 4 years of being the journeyman in F1, Ricciardo finally feels settled at Milton Keynes as the 3rd driver. While many would point out the irony of this situation, Daniel doesn’t mind it much. Of course, he is with the champion team and hopes to make his F1 return from his home team environment. Recently, he also gave an update about what are his expectations about the stint at Red Bull and any possible comeback plans.

In an interview with Motorsport Magazine.com, Ricciardo denied any possibility of him retiring from F1. Instead, he feels quite relaxed and at ease at RBR. The Aussie also stated that he is clinging to the hope of an unlikely F1 opportunity this season.

He stated, “No, I’m happy, not [retiring but hoping for a call-up] anytime soon – if they’re [Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez] gonna catch a cold, maybe later in the season! But I really do feel at ease and happy with kind of just not taking the first few months of the year seriously.”

Daniel is being sneaky in the hope of returning to the F1 grid, come what may. He may be probably eyeing up Red Bull’s #2 Sergio Perez‘s potential misfortunes for that elusive opportunity. Nevertheless, for now, he cited how he feels nice and stress-free at the moment. Perhaps the relaxed state of not starting the F1 season this time around is the stimulus of this feeling.

About his comeback expectations, the Honey Badger is optimistic and mentioned what he feels about the prospect. He said, “I think it will happen naturally. And all those things will happen over time.”

Read More: “If I Do Start…”: Daniel Ricciardo Reveals the Only Way He Will Make Red Bull F1 Return

Ricciardo is probably staring at the end of his F1 career. At the age of 33, the Australian driver does not have the luxury of time to sit out and wait for a good drive. To top it off, his recent form is not going to make any team approach him. So, for Daniel to cement his full-time F1 return, he needs to make things happen.

Is it All Over for Daniel Ricciardo in F1?

From being a potential world champion to a 3rd driver in a reserve role, few have fallen as badly as Daniel Ricciardo. While a bad patch of form happens to every sportsperson, Daniel is in a very tricky position. Considering he still has championship ambitions, it will require a lot of factors to make it happen for the Honey Badger.

Despite coming back to Red Bull, there is little scope for him to get a full-time seat. After all, Max Verstappen has arguably become an immovable force and the Austrian team is predominantly built around him now. Besides, Sergio Perez has been decent enough to be Max’s perfect complementary wingman.

So, unless the pressure starts mounting on Perez and things go haywire with Verstappen, Danny Ric is not coming into the equation for a full-time Red Bull return. This only leaves Mercedes and Ferrari as other top teams. Ricciardo mentioned in 2022 that he is mostly looking for a top team seat and not a back-of-the-grid team.

Meanwhile, Alpine and McLaren are the former teams that he just left in the last 3 years. So, there are negligible chances that Daniel gets a foot in the door over there. And at Mercedes and Ferrari, would they find the Aussie driver as good an option?

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Danny Ric has neither age on his side nor consistent performance. Crucially, both these aspects are what F1 teams look for in potential drivers. So, all in all, all doors look like closing down for Daniel Ricciardo in F1. Unless a crazy situation happens in the driver market, we may not see the Honey Badger fulfill his F1 championship goals!