Daniel Ricciardo: Aussie F1 ace says he is ‘unaware’ of Red Bull departure rumours after Singapore
Aussie F1 ace Daniel Ricciardo has told reporters in Singapore he “has been around too long” to say he will be driving next season but is “unaware” of any talk of his departure from the Team Red Bull.
Speculation has been circling for months about the seats in the top-tier team for Red Bull and their secondary team at RB is set for a reshuffle with Ricciardo firmly in the sights of pundits.
“My first expectation is about next year, so that’s where I’m at at the moment,” Ricciardo, 35. told reporters in the Singapore ‘paddock’ on Thursday.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“I can’t give too many details but in terms of contract our dates pretty much come into this window now, so basically I do expect a yes or a no for ‘25.
“I’m aware of some talk and speculation about, you know, the rest of the season but that (being replaced) for me at the moment I’m unaware of,” added the eight-time winner who is out of contract at the end of 2024.
“So the decision I expect is for next year.”
The Red Bull-owned RB team has young New Zealander Liam Lawson waiting in the wings and will be contemplating the opportunities for both drivers.
The paddock rumour mill has been churning with speculation that Lawson, 22, could be drafted in to satisfy the terms of his contract with Red Bull, who otherwise risk losing his services.
Lawson stood in for Ricciardo at five races last season when the Australian was injured, scoring two points with ninth in Singapore.
Asked directly if there was a scenario in his contract where Singapore could be his last race, Ricciardo replied: “I don’t think so but I also don’t want to stand here and be the lawyer.
“Look, I would say no, but also we know how this sport works. People have not seen through a season before, so it’s nothing new in some ways.
“So I don’t want to also be like ‘Oh no, 100 per cent (safe), I’ll bet my house on it’. I’ve been around too long.”
Ricciardo acknowledged that “some of the noise around” had changed since the August break and recognised the season could have gone better.
The West Australian, who made his comeback last year after a difficult stint at McLaren, has scored 12 points from 17 races compared to Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda’s 22.
Tsunoda has been confirmed for 2025, a campaign Ricciardo had once hoped would see him return to the Red Bull senior team alongside triple world champion Max Verstappen in place of Mexican Sergio Perez.
With AAP.
