The boss of the Red Bull Formula 1 team, Christian Horner, claims that Daniel Ricciardo’s potential return to the team depends on his own performance, but emphasizes that he must demonstrate exceptional skills. Ricciardo, who was released by McLaren at the end of 2022, was given another chance in F1 with Red Bull’s affiliate team, formerly known as AlphaTauri, in the middle of last year. However, his comeback was hampered by a broken metacarpal due to an accident in Zandvoort, and he has yet to score points in the first five races of this season, trailing behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who has accumulated seven points so far. Ricciardo acknowledged in China last week that he must prioritize delivering results with the renamed RB team before considering a possible return to Red Bull. He explained that his current focus is not on moving up, but rather getting his season on track and proving himself once again. While there is a desire to reverse the situation, there is no overwhelming pressure to demonstrate his skills, as the team already knows his capabilities. The key now is to translate that potential into tangible results.
Christian Horner, the boss of the Red Bull team, has been a strong advocate for Daniel Ricciardo’s return and has supported him during his recent struggles on the Formula 1 circuit. Although Horner has acknowledged that Sergio Perez is the favorite candidate to be Max Verstappen’s partner, he has also revealed that Ricciardo’s fate depends mainly on his own performance. Horner emphasized that Ricciardo needs to demonstrate exceptional skills that not only catch the attention of Red Bull, but also of other teams.
La décision concernant Ricciardo et Tsunoda aura sans aucun doute un impact sur Liam Lawson, qui a remplacé Ricciardo lors de cinq étapes l’année dernière. Horner a reconnu le talent de Lawson et sa volonté de saisir une opportunité. Cependant, il a clairement indiqué qu’il n’y a pas de plans ou de délais prédéterminés pour la promotion de Lawson. La priorité reste sur les pilotes occupant actuellement les sièges de course, et l’équipe évaluera la situation au fur et à mesure qu’elle évolue.