Daniel Ricciardo has made no secret of his mission to get back in the driving seat after a tough end to the 2023 season saw McLaren drop him from the Papaya team.
With rumours swirling in the drivers’ market potentially set to spark a string of changes, Ricciardo will be hoping to benefit from an opening that will allow him to restart his Formula 1 career.
Unfortunately for Ricciardo, whatever opportunities arise, it looks clear that he won’t be joining Red Bull’s driver line up any time, as a replacement for either Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez.
The suggestion that Ricciardo could step up at Red Bull has come amid reports of a growing rift between Verstappen and Perez amid a tight title fight but Dr Helmut Marko has appeared to rule that out.
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“He is not at the level of Verstappen and Perez [on the simulator],” Marko told Motorsport-Total.com.
“His goal is to get back into a top team. Those were his statements.
“I think this break from active sport is good for him so that he can find himself and know where he really wants to go.”
Some have suggested that Ricciardo is being lined up for a move to AlphaTauri, replacing Nyck de Vries amid a string of disappointing drives from the Dutchman.
According to reports, de Vries has been given until June to improve or risk being dropped from Formula 1 after just one season at the top.
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“AlphaTauri is AlphaTauri. And Red Bull Racing is Red Bull Racing,” he said.
“Whether you drive in midfield or whether you drive at the front, that’s a completely different pressure, a completely different climate…We know his qualities.”
Ricciardo’s future could become clear in the coming weeks, as Formula 1 approaches the summer break, where the drivers’ market opens up.