Is Daniel Ricciardo the Right Replacement for Sergio Perez?

One of the biggest question marks in the 2023 season was on the future of Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver went from helping his team secure the championship in 2022 to being the man holding them back. His future was especially under threat right before the summer break. Perez had failed to make it to Q3 in qualifying in a few consecutive races. Amidst his prolonged and ongoing misery, Red Bull made a move that shocked the world of F1 and seriously put Perez’s position in question. It was, of course, the replacement of Nyck de Vries with Daniel Ricciardo.

Red Bull honchos gave Ricciardo the AlphaTauri seat to replace the underwhelming Dutchman. However, this began the rumor mill of Ricciardo replacing Perez on the Austrian team. Many believed we would see another swap between the sister teams as we often have and the Mexican will bite the bullet for his consistently poor results. However, Perez survived the scare, at least in 2023, and has the confidence of the bosses to keep his place in 2024 as well. However, we don’t see Perez renewing his contract, which ends in 2024. This brings us to the question, will Daniel Ricciardo be an ideal candidate to replace the Mexican?

Will Daniel Ricciardo be the right replacement for Sergio Perez?

Many believed the Australian was past his prime, especially after his tenure at McLaren. The Red Bull offer came as a lifeline in F1 and many expected Ricciardo to be an option after Perez’s contract expires. However, Ricciardo’s opportunity at AlphaTauri caught everyone off guard, perhaps the Australian as well. Once Ricciardo took on the role at AlphaTauri, the pressure was truly on Perez. However, will replacing Perez with Ricciardo make sense? We think so! Let’s look at the reasons why.

Firstly, a Formula 1 team always wins more and performs better in the long run when it is in harmony. Currently, there is massive tension between Max Verstappen and Perez, which started at the 2022 Brazilian GP and extended after the Mexican expressed his desire to challenge for the championship. This won’t be, as we can predict, the case if Ricciardo takes on the second seat at Red Bull. The two former teammates still get along well.

When it comes to performance alone, Ricciardo has proved he has still got it with the limited races he ran for AlphaTauri. He not only outshone his teammate Yuki Tsunoda in a limited time, but Ricciardo’s performance at the Mexican GP shocked everyone. The Australian finished P7 in a race he qualified P4 in, in the AT04 ahead of Perez in a RB19. The one race in Mexico changed everyone’s perspective of the Australian and put a blanket over the memory of his troubled past at McLaren.

Read More: Christian Horner Highlights Sergio Perez’s “Struggle” After Charles Leclerc Exploits Red Bull’s Mediocrity

Ricciardo might’ve not produced more awe-inspiring moments in the remaining race in 2023. However, he can make a solid case for the second seat in 2024 as well and perhaps fulfill his dream. However, will be able to keep up with Verstappen?

Can Daniel Ricciardo keep up with Max Verstappen as a teammate?

Ricciardo has expressed his desire to end his F1 career at Red Bull many times in the past few months. He is as close to actualizing his dream as he can ever be. He told the media, “Obviously my goal is to return to Red Bull one day. That’s the fairy tale and I would love to finish my career there.” That is the dream and we would all love to see the Australian live it, especially after the heartbreaking treatment he has suffered in the past year. However, will Verstappen turn this dream into a nightmare?

Verstappen has made the lives of each of his teammates a living hell in the past five years, since Ricciardo. The only one who could stick around and keep up with the Dutchman for as long as Ricciardo did is Perez. However, slowly Perez has also succumbed to the pressure that Verstappen puts on his teammates. Who’s to say Ricciardo won’t feel that in his second stint as Verstappen’s teammate? Especially after Verstappen put him under immense pressure from the first race together as teammates.

Every time someone has failed against Verstappen, they have failed because of either their lack of maturity and experience in the sport to higher ambitions and failure to keep up with his consistency. We believe Ricciardo, who will join Red Bull at this stage of his career, will be of a completely different mindset.

He would be more relaxed, he would be more of a team player and we all know he has accepted Verstappen is a much better driver now so that won’t hurt anyone’s ego as well.

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

Ricciardo has showcased he has the quality. Now all he needs is an opportunity to make his way to Red Bull and he will be the perfect second driver at Red Bull.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EssentiallySports.