F1 rumour that puts Daniel Ricciardo in his place for next season at Red Bull

Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has had a season from hell and is struggling to make any headway in his bid to snare the coveted second seat as teammate to world champion Max Verstappen for next season.

According to reports, Ricciardo is not a “real alternative” to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

Perez’s seat is up for grabs and Team Principal Christian Horner and the Red Bull executives are considering all options, with Ricciardo’s Visa Cash App RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda leaping toward the top of the candidates list along with Perez.

Reports emerged last week Red Bull was deep in negotiations with Perez about a contract extension moving Ricciardo further away from achieving his his ambition.

German F1 site Motorsport Totalis now reporting that Tsunoda and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz were seen as more realistic options to partner Max Verstappen than Ricciardo — if Red Bull axed its Mexican driver.

The Spaniard is without a seat for next year after Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari and his management is reported to have reached out to Red Bull about the team’s No. 2 seat following his victory at the Australian Grand Prix.

However, Sainz has now been forced to turn towards other options he has on the table because of the swirling rumours it is just a matter of time until Red Bull’s extension with Perez is announced.

That extension comes despite Perez suffering a bad form slump that has seen him crash to fifth on the driver’s standings this season. He also had a qualifying disaster and crashed out at the Monaco Grand Prix on Monday morning.

The team has still been able to carry him because of Verstappen’s dominance and because it is smooth sailing inside the Red Bull garage while Perez remains no threat to the Dutch star.

It leaves Sainz as the biggest free agent for next year and one of the obvious choices.

Autosport has reported that Sainz has been engaged in talks with Williams over a deal for the 2025 season.

Sainz, ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, wouldn’t indulge in the latest rumours sweeping across the paddock but said he’s putting all his options on the table before deciding what’s best for him.

“Behind the scenes, I know more,” Sainz said.

“You have the rumours and everything, but don’t worry, I’m not going to let slip anything.

“I’m going to just put all the options on the table and make the right decision. I can just tell you that, once I open my mind up, everything will happen very quickly. It’s all about putting everything together that I feel like I need on my next new contract.”

If the rumours come to fruition, Sainz would partner with Alex Albon for the 2025 season and potentially beyond.