Daniel Ricciardo’s teammate reality check as Red Bull’s D-Day locked in

A date for a decision on Daniel Ricciardo’s future at Red Bull has been locked in as the Aussie comes clean on his teammate.

Daniel Ricciardo’s future could be decided as soon as September as Red Bull and VCARB near a decision on young gun Liam Lawson.

It means Ricciardo may have as little as two (Italian GP on September 1) or as many as four races (Singapore GP on September 22) to prove himself invaluable as Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko revealed the team would set their 2025 driver line-up by next month.

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Red Bull’s seats have been the centre of much of the intrigue this season with more than a few question marks about Ricciardo and Sergio Perez with neither man confirmed a job for next season.

Fans — and drivers — won’t have to wait too long for a decision either with Marko’s revelation.

“It’s a tough time for someone like Liam, especially as he jumped into the car under very, very difficult circumstances and did very well,” Marko told ESPN.

“We rate him high, and he will get his chance. Just wait. September you will have an answer.”

While Perez signed a two-year extension earlier this year, it’s believed a clause in his contract could see him ousted if he fell over 100 points behind teammate Max Verstappen at the summer break — currently the Mexican is 146 points behind.

And yet Perez survived the axe at the mid-season break, maintaining the status quo despite Perez not finishing in the top six drivers since Miami in May, or eight rounds ago, as McLaren have slashed Red Bull’s lead atop the constructor standings to just 42 points.

Ricciardo’s in a difficult position. Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Perez held on – for now. Photo by SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP

Ricciardo has been at the centre of his own speculation after a slow start to the season with 22-year-old New Zealander Liam Lawson waiting in the wings.

However, Ricciardo was strongly tipped to replace Perez and allow VCARB to blood Lawson.

Over the entire season, Ricciardo’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda leads on points (22-12), qualifying (9-5) and in races (8-5, with one race where both were DNF).

But since Canada, the Ricciardo of old has returned with the Aussie starting to turn the tide, claiming seven points to three and having had a 4-2 lead in both qualifying and in races.

It wasn’t enough to usurp Perez however.

“Daniel was put in the car and if he would have been significantly faster than Yuki there was an idea to bring him back to Red Bull Racing,” Marko told ESPN before the break.

“But he also had this up and down. So, so far, he didn’t fulfil the criteria to be a Red Bull Racing driver.”

Earlier in the season, Marko suggested that VCARB was the Red Bull “junior team” and floated that Lawson would be given the seat.

“The shareholders have made it clear that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly,” he said.

“We will have to put a young driver in there soon. That would be Liam Lawson.”

Liam Lawson is ready to step up. Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

The September deadline is believed to be due to a clause in Lawson’s contract that will allow him to look elsewhere if he’s not given a seat by September.

This could see several different scenarios take place.

Perez could maintain his position with Ricciardo making way for Lawson.

Or Perez could be axed and Ricciardo, Tsunoda or even Lawson himself be promoted to the Red Bull seat.

Or Perez and Ricciardo could both cop the axe as Red Bull also have junior driver Isack Hadjar leading Formula 2 by 36 points. If he wins the title, he is unable to stay in the championship and would be eyeing a seat in F1.

Or Perez and Ricciardo could stay put, leaving Lawson looking for a new team or continuing to cool his jets.

Depending on what happens, all three of Ricciardo, Perez and Lawson are believed to be in consideration for the empty seat at Kick Sauber, which is set to become Audi in 2026.

VCARB chief executive Peter Bayer has flagged Tsunoda as a contender for the Red Bull seat in the future, assuming he can maintain his level consistently.

“Helmut said it himself, in German you say a swallow doesn’t make a summer,” Bayer said to Motorsport.com.

“What it means is that if Yuki keeps racing on this level consistently, he will be considered for a seat in Red Bull Racing.

“That’s ultimately exactly our mission and the mission we’ve been given by the shareholders, and if that means that he needs another season next to a very strong Daniel, that could be an option.

“It could also be an option (to) say that, okay, we now believe he’s ready. So we’ll talk to Liam (Lawson).

“We’re not in a hurry, despite all the people (who) think we are, because we do have all the options in our hands.”

Yuki Tsunoda has already signed for another season. Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Tsunoda, who has not really been in discussions for a promotion despite his impressive start to the year, believes he’s done enough to be in consideration for the top Red Bull team.

And Ricciardo told Motorsport.com that Tsunoda had definitely turned a corner.

“I think now he’s definitely getting probably the credit that he deserves,” Ricciardo told Motorsport.com.

“Probably a lot of people still think about his first year where he made a lot of mistakes, and it felt like his adjustment into Formula 1, it just felt like maybe he couldn’t really adjust and it was all a bit too much.

“(In 2021 and 2022, Pierre) Gasly was consistently beating him, but then I remember the second half of that year, he actually started to probably have a better showing than Gasly.

“He’s definitely grown a lot in the last couple of years. So yes, he’s fast. Do I rate him? I do. He’s probably become a bit more aware of his attitude as well. I think he’s doing a really good job.”

As for whether he could challenge at the front of the grid, Ricciardo said: “That part is up to him”.