Red Bull Ultimatum for Ricciardo

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo has until the month of August to pen a new deal with his current team.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has set a deadline for Ricciardo to re-sign, fearing interest from outside parties. If the Australian does not sign, the team will begin looking for his replacement.

The 28-year-old’s market rate skyrocketed in the aftermath of his Chinese Grand Prix victory. Ricciardo has insisted that he will only remain faithful to Red Bull if they can provide him with a championship winning car in the next few years.

“There should be a decision by the summer break at the latest,” Horner said.

“We do not want to wait forever. We have other good options. Our priority is to continue working with Daniel. If that does not work, we’ll pull the other options.”

One of Red Bull’s first choices will be Renault’s Carlos Sainz, in case Ricciardo gets tempted to Ferrari. Even the reigning champions Mercedes are eyeing the Australian.

“The most obvious is Carlos Sainz,” Horner said. “He is under contract with us. And then there are a few young drivers.”

Red Bull have stated that they want the Aussie star to stay put, but Ricciardo not giving any guarantees. Instead, he is making his judgement based of the car’s performance.

If Red Bull can give him a championship winning car, he will most likely stay with the Austrian team. But if they fall behind Mercedes and Ferrari again, the Perth-born driver will have no choice but to seek greener pastures.

Ricciardo dismissed talks of a four-year contract. This was mostly due to the uncertainty over the future of the sport. Instead, he feels that a two-year deal is a more viable option.

With Verstappen under contract, can Red Bull retain the dynamic duo for 2019 and beyond?