Ricciardo hits back over Marko comments
Daniel Ricciardo has hit back at Helmut Marko after the Red Bull Advisor made comments on the Australian’s “no longer valid” future, insisting “the narrative can change” with an improvement in performance in Austria and Silverstone.
The Red Bull Motorsport Advisor made his opinion clear when speaking with the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung, saying “The shareholders have made it known that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly”.
“The goal was that he would be considered for Red Bull Racing with exceptional performances. That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is no longer valid.
“We have to put a young driver in there soon [and] that would be Liam Lawson.”
No stranger to public scrutiny, Ricciardo has come accustomed to ignoring the noise stemming internally and externally, saying that he only caught wind of Marko’s comments as he arrived in the paddock on Thursday.
“I’ve become really good at not reading things, I actually didn’t know about it until I was told when I got here,” Ricciardo said.
“Look… it’s… I don’t feel one way or another about it, I still know that the overriding thing in this sport is performance, and that’s it.
“That’s what will give me my best chance of staying here, I know that.
“It’s not going to be my smile or anything else, it’s the on-track stuff.”
The threat of Liam Lawson may be out of Ricciardo’s hands, however, with the young Kiwi set to conduct a TPC test (Testing of Previous Cars) in Imola.
The test will run at a similar time to Ricciardo’s 2023 test, the catalyst for the Nyck de Vries-Ricciardo shuffle after Silverstone.
Despite this, Ricciardo doesn’t see the TPC as a threat to his future.
“I believe, it’s been planned for a while, but in any case, it’s one of those ones where also, I think the older you get, you understand that control the controllables.
“If Liam goes and has an amazing test, like 100%, good for Liam, I’ve got no control over that, nor do I wish him poorly, not at all.
“I think I’m currently in the race seat, so I’ve got to do everything I can to control the things that I can.
“If I kick ass here, if I kick ass at Silverstone, then I think the narrative can change.
“I think I obviously have to own that and be on top of what I can do.
“I’m sure qualifying fifth in Montreal made Helmut smile.
“If I can do that a few more times, then I’m sure I’ll make him smile.
“It’s still so heavily on performance, and yeah, just keep focused on that.”
Regardless of the tangible threat of Lawson’s Imola test, the pressure from Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner hasn’t matched that, or Helmut Marko’s words, even with Ricciardo’s inconsistency this season.
“There hasn’t been any pressure, ultimatum, nothing like that,” the #3 said.
“But I’m also, I’ve been in the sport a long time, I know that if I get my ass kicked every weekend, at some point, someone will be like ‘hey mate, step it up, otherwise…’ but I haven’t had that.
But, as I said, I’m aware that having a good race every so often isn’t good enough, but also not where I want to be.
“I don’t want to have an odd high and a bunch of lows.
“I think I’ve had good support from, obviously you mentioned Christian [Horner], but from Laurent [Mekies], from everyone.
“They’re doing what they can, obviously, but then at some point, I’m the one in the car and I’ve got to push that right throttle a bit harder.”
Not concerned about a deadline for his improvement, Ricciardo sees the summer break as a loose timeframe for the Red Bull higher-ups to evaluate his performance in the first half of the season.
By the summer break, however, the game of musical paddock chairs is set to be in full swing, or nearly completed, with Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly both extending their contracts with their respective teams overnight.
Putting all his eggs in one basket, Ricciardo is only focused on vying for an extension of his seat with RB in 2025.
“Not to be stubborn or arrogant about it, but I’m not looking anywhere else,” Ricciardo said.
“I’ve said it, I really do enjoy being back in the family.
“I weirdly do enjoy sometimes a little bit of pokes from Helmut, because I think it’s also, it can also be a way to get me a little bit fired up and try and get the best out of me.”
“I sound casual, I don’t want to be casual about it, because obviously I care a lot, but I don’t know, maybe I’m at a point where it’s just like, what will be will be.
“I’m just going to put everything I can on the table from an effort and performance, and if that is good enough to secure me a seat, great.
“If not, then OK, I did everything I could.
“I think in terms of the musical chairs stuff, whatever it’s called, yeah, I think if I get focused on that, then I’m… I need to put all my attention here.
“Simple as that.”
Following a difficult weekend in Barcelona in which driving with a heavily upgraded package, Ricciardo came away satisfied with P15, the Austrian Grand Prix, and Ricciardo’s 250th race weekend at that, will see the #3 and Yuki Tsunoda starting with different setups.
Also running as a Sprint weekend, this means RB will only have one hour of practice to analyse their upgrades before Sprint Qualifying takes place tonight, looking to merge the setups after Free Practice.
The sole practice session of the weekend will take place at 8:30 PM (AEST).
Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
2024 Austrian Grand Prix Schedule:
Friday, June 28th
FP1: 20:30-21:30
Saturday, June 29th
Sprint Qualifying: 00:30-01:14
Sprint Race: 20:00-21:30
Sunday, June 30th
Qualifying: 00:00-01:00
Race: 23:00
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