Daniel Ricciardo has dismissed the notion that speculation linking him with a 2025 Red Bull Formula 1 drive has contributed to his underwhelming start to this season.
Ricciardo was handed an F1 reprieve with Red Bull’s sister squad, then known as AlphaTauri, last term when Nyck de Vries was ousted 10 races into his rookie campaign.
Despite revealing his ultimate ambition is to return to the Red Bull seat he vacated at the end of 2018, Ricciardo has endured a challenging opening to the latest season.
Partnered alongside Yuki Tsunoda at the rebranded RB outfit, Ricciardo has lagged behind his team-mate in the first two rounds and qualified five-tenths adrift in Jeddah.
Ricciardo’s struggles have prompted him to come under pressure from some quarters, with Marko stating he must “come up with something soon” to match Tsunoda.
But Ricciardo is adamant that such comments don’t impact him, citing how he’s his own biggest critic and he’s aware that his level this season has not met expectations.
“No, it’s not annoying,” he answered when asked about such remarks triggering a media pile-on. “The most important part is the driving, but a big part of it is talking to you guys and obviously hearing when things go well, obviously everyone’s talking positively and when they don’t, they don’t talk so positively. So that’s part of it.
“I think also the more I get into the sport, the more I just know that I’m back here because I believe I can do it. I believe I belong here, and it’s really that.
“When people say, ‘Do you have a point to prove or anything, or do you need to keep people happy or please anyone’, I’m here for myself. It’s honestly that, because I know I can still do it.
“I do want to make people proud, the people that support me. If someone says something, I know it already, because I’ve told myself that, or I know what’s expected from me. So that’s that.
He added: “Of course, I want to be qualifying Q3. I want to get these results that I believe I can. But it’s tight. We’re in such a tight midfield.
“And like Bahrain in quali, I knew I didn’t put the lap together I should have. And I put my hand up for that. And that’s the difference. That’s the difference from maybe P14 to a Q3.
“I think end of Q1 in Saudi from P9 to P16 was less than a tenth. So you can very quickly look like a hero or not. And that’s where every tenth counts. And that’s where I look to myself first.”
With Ricciardo having been touted as the favourite to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull in 2025, the RB driver has admitted that he is aware of the possibilities available.
But the ex-McLaren racer has denied that such reports distracted him and has insisted that his immediate focus is on delivering in the short-term in his second F1 spell.
“I don’t buy into any of the stories, if you will,” Ricciardo said regarding his name being placed in Red Bull discussions. “I know, obviously, what my position is in the team.
“I know, let’s say, some potential things that could happen if I do really well. But that’s all just… It’s like everything you know.
“I think any team you’re with, you know if you have a really strong season it could lead to maybe something different or increase your position where you currently are.
“I think it’s always our objective to do the best we can. And I think whatever happens will happen or can happen. But for us, my objective is to drive this car as good as I can.
“I think now getting back into a car I’m definitely not looking too far ahead. So am I thinking about the Red Bull seat that you speak of? No.
“I know if I do some really good results, maybe then that can present itself potentially. It’s not something I think about because, yeah, as you said, 12 months ago, I wasn’t in this position. I didn’t know if I would be back in this position. So I think I just take it weekend after weekend. There will always be some, yeah, whatever going around.
“But I know my job and what I need to do. And I think the more I get… Look, it’s through experience as well. But the more you get caught up in that stuff, then that starts taking focus away from my job and that’s driving as fast as possible.
“I know we do a lot of other things during the course of a race weekend but that’s why we’re here ultimately, to push the car to the limit and try to make it as good as it can be.
“So this weekend it’s something I look forward to obviously being here racing at home, but yeah, as you said, after the first two races it hasn’t been amazing. but it’s not a concern I think it’s two races out of 24 and there’s a lot of new people in the team. So it’s very early, but I do definitely want to have a strong weekend and yeah, do well.”
Ricciardo will receive the chance to kickstart his campaign on home soil this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix that he missed out on competing in last season.
The eight-time grand prix winner recalls how attending the event in his role as a Red Bull reserve driver reignited his desire to manoeuvre back into a full-time F1 seat.
“I mean, I remember being on pit wall here. It was my first race attending and I was watching the cars and there was certainly a bit of envy as I saw them all pull out of the garage,” he said.
“I kind of knew already that I wanted to do it again. But yeah, this was where, I felt it most. And then every race I went to after that, I was, ‘OK, I’m ready’.”
