‘Future is now’: Daniel Ricciardo is not dead yet amid shock rumour

Reports of the demise of Daniel Ricciardo’s career may have been a bit premature after a pundit dropped a bombshell.

All of a sudden, Daniel Ricciardo has options. Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career may just be about to receive a lifeline amid reports the Aussie is facing the chop from Red Bull.

Reports last week emerged that Ricciardo was set to be sacked, with the summer break firming as the most likely time for the team to make a move.

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Ricciardo had a stunning fall from grace, having been teased for a shock at Sergio Perez’s seat in the top Red Bull team if he knocked the doors down.

But the 34-year-old has been out-driven by young teammate Yuki Tsunoda.

So far this season, Tsunoda holds a commanding 8-3 lead in qualifying and 6-4 in races (they both DNFed in China).

And with young New Zealander Liam Lawson waiting in the wings, Ricciardo’s career appeared to be coming to an unceremonious ending.

Particularly after Perez re-signed with Red Bull and Tsunoda committed to the Visa Cash App RB for another season.

And Marko telling German publication Bild: “We will offer him (Lawson) something. A cockpit for next year.

“It is clear that RB are a junior team. That is also communicated internally and everyone has understood that.”

Things were looked bleak for Ricciardo. Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

But leading F1 pundit Will Buxton claimed there was a chance for Ricciardo to continue his career at a fifth team with Williams.

Williams is believed to have gone after Carlos Sainz, who was axed from Ferrari for Lewis Hamilton in 2025, but he has yet to make a decision on his next team.

Alexander Albon is signed on a multi-year deal at Williams until the end of 2026, but rookie Logan Sargeant is expected to be axed by the end of the year.

Sainz has been less than committal however, and Buxton said Williams team boss James Vowles is growing frustrated by the Spaniard.

Could this be the opening Ricciardo needs to stay in F1?

“(Ricciardo’s) entire future (is) on the line right now,” Buxton said oon F1TV.

“There is much talk that he will be out of this seat after the summer break. There is talk that he may be in negotiations with Williams for their second seat next year alongside Alex Albon.

“Williams, as we understand, are sick of waiting for Carlos Sainz to make his mind up on where he wants to go next year and may close that door off for him.”

It could be a situation where Ricciardo has to go all in on the Williams seat as despite several seats being available, many have strong links to the roles.

One seat was filled on Thursday with 19-year-old Ferrari junior Ollie Bearman is officially the F1’s next driver after agreeing to a multi-year deal with Haas.

Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

At Red Bull, reports emerged that the team’s junior driver program was stacked with talent that was “ready to go”.

But RB CEO Peter Bayer said the team needed to develop from just being a development team into a force of its own on the grid, saying Ricciardo had played a key role in that move.

“We don’t need to develop Daniel. He came into the team to perform and to help us with Yuki,” he told PlanetF1.com.

“Between Daniel and Yuki, Daniel has been part of that Yuki development project. At the same time, we obviously were also expecting from him as a very fast and experienced driver, we were expecting performance from him and we are expecting performance from him.”

But he also admitted that if the performances weren’t there “it will be difficult to put him into the car next year”.

In more good news for Ricciardo, F1’s Lawrence Barretto tweeted that the Aussie may yet have a bit more time in the RB.

“Lots of chatter re: Daniel Ricciardo’s future in Austria after Helmut Marko’s comments that RB should have a young driver in the car soon. My sources say Ricciardo isn’t under threat of losing his seat mid-season and will be given the time to prove he can be fast consistently,” Barretto tweeted.

There’s still hope for Ricciardo. Photo by MAX SLOVENCIK / APA / AFP

With Marko’s blunt comments and Christian Horner refusing to confirm the Aussie’s seat is safe for the remainder of the season, although it’s “always fluid”, it certainly seems as though the ball is in Ricciardo’s court to demand a new Red Bull deal with his performances.

Fox Sports’ Michael Lamonato even suggested Red Bull had “buyer’s remorse” after re-signing Perez and could help Ricciardo hang onto a seat to stay at Red Bull.

Ricciardo admitted he hadn’t had his role dangled over his head just yet, but that he’d been around long enough to know he was under pressure.

“There hasn’t been any pressure, any ultimatum – nothing like that,” Ricciardo said.

“But also I’ve been in the sport a long time. I know that, if I’m getting my a** kicked every weekend, at some point someone will be like ‘hey mate, step it up, otherwise …’ but I haven’t had that.”

He responded in Austria, out-qualifying and out-racing Tsunoda to claim points for the second time in a full race this season. He also had a fourth-place finish in the Miami sprint race.

Originally published as ‘Future is now’: Daniel Ricciardo is not dead yet amid shock rumour