Red Bull senior advisor shock admission that Daniel Ricciardo could be replaced by Kiwi rival Liam Lawson before the end of this F1 season
- Aussie driver is under increasing pressure to perform with RB
- Has had slow start to the 2024 season with the Red Bull affiliate
- Could be replaced by New Zealand up-and-coming driver
The clock is ticking for Aussie F1 star Daniel Ricciardo with Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko tipping him to be replaced by New Zealand rival Liam Lawson before the end of the year.
Ricciardo is facing pressure to improve after a difficult start, having been outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda in the first four races.
Ricciardo has lost all qualifying sessions to Tsunoda 4-0 and trails him 3-1 in race finishes, with his only lead due to team orders in Bahrain.
Initially hopeful for a strong 2024 to secure his spot at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, Ricciardo now fights for his future with the team as Liam Lawson waits for an opportunity.
'We obviously have in Liam Lawson as reserve driver a strong driver in the team, who is contractually free to race for another team if he doesn't get a seat with us in 2025,' Marko told Austrian publication Kleine Zeitung.
'In this regard it would of course be exciting for us if we could see him already in F1 this year, to give ourselves an even clearer picture.
'But this is a complex topic, one must wait and see how it goes.'
Ricciardo is firmly under the gun after a slow start to the 2024 F1 season with RB and is under mounting pressure to perform to keep his seat
Kiwi driver Liam Lawson had been earmarked for a seat with Red Bull Racing, but could replace Ricciardo at RB instead
Last year, there were rumours that Liam Lawson agreed to become Red Bull's reserve driver for 2024, with the promise of a racing seat in 2025.
However, recent comments by Helmut Marko clarified that while Lawson might get a race seat, it's not guaranteed to be with Red Bull Racing or affiliate team RB where Ricciardo is currently racing.
Marko mentioned it would be 'exciting' to see Lawson race this year, adding more pressure on Ricciardo. Marko also noted that Ricciardo hasn't met expectations and is currently being outperformed by his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
'The expectation was that he had to be clearly faster than Yuki if he wanted to have any hope of getting the seat at Red Bull,' said Marko.
'That hasn't been the case so far, even if it was close [in Japan]. We'll see how that develops.'
Marko, pictured with Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner and Ricciardo, said the Aussie could be replaced as soon as this season
Legendary team owner Eddie Jordan doesn't believe that Ricciardo will see out the season with Red Bull Racing either
Marko's claims were echoed by legendary team owner Eddie Jordan who said he believed Ricciardo's time was up in the latest episode of the Formula for Success podcast.
'I think his time has run out, he has not done enough for me to warrant a move to the Red Bull team,' Jordan said.
'In fact, I'm not sure he's done enough for me to be able to stay where he is.
'So, he's another person who will be a great loss to Formula 1, so I hope he's able to stay around either inside a team or outside a team.
'In fact, I'm not sure he's done enough for me to be able to stay where he is.
'So, he's another person who will be a great loss to Formula 1, so I hope he's able to stay around either inside a team or outside a team.
'I still believe that there's a great place for Daniel Ricciardo, either on TV or in commentaries or whatever it is.
'Of course, it's not the same as driving the car, but if you're not able to win or be on the podium or to do great things in the car, well then why not look at another alternative?'
