Daniel Ricciardo's hopes of returning to the senior Red Bull team for the 2024 F1 season have been dealt a fresh blow.
The F1 circus will roar back into life this weekend after the European summer break at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, just outside Amsterdam.
Ricciardo will once again saddle up for the AlphaTauri team in the third race of his comeback.
READ MORE: AFL's $1.1 million move to close gender pay gap
READ MORE: Club's bizarre statement after Eddie drops sacking news
READ MORE: Cramping Alcaraz in tears after epic Djokovic defeat
The Aussie has missed the points in his first two outings in Budapest and Spa, but the team said after the Belgium race Ricciardo had exceeded their expectations of his F1 return.
But hopes of a promotion back to the senior Red Bull squad remain slim – at least publicly – with team boss Christian Horner re-confirming Mexican Sergio Perez would be in the second seat alongside Max Verstappen for 2024.
"We have a contract," Horner told Speedcafe. "We're happy with Checo and he will be our driver next year."
"But for us, it's always good to have… the whole purpose of AlphaTauri and Toro Rosso before was to be training drivers as potential candidates for Red Bull Racing."
The AlphaTauri squad is, at least in theory, a proving ground for emerging talent in the Red Bull system. Those who excel find themselves promoted.
Horner said Nyck de Vries, the man sacked to make way for Ricciardo, was never seen as a future Red Bull driver.
"That's why, with Nyck, it didn't feel like he was going to be a Red Bull Racing candidate, so then the argument you put is, does it make sense to keep going?"
Horner said it was "good" for the team to have options for 2025. He said any search for a potential replacement alongside Verstappen, who could by then be a four-time champion, would be expanded beyond the AlphaTauri ranks.
"Max is fixed till '28. Checo's contract runs the end of next year," he said.
"If he, if Checo delivers, we'll keep going with Checo. If he doesn't, for whatever reason, then it's … but that won't be just restricted to AlphaTauri drivers, because there's an awful lot of drivers up and down the pit lane that would like to drive a Red Bull car."
Ricciardo will turn 36 mid-way through the 2025 season, but Horner said he didn't see age as a barrier.
"When I see what Fernando Alonso is doing, and Lewis Hamilton. It's all about what's up here [in the mind] that counts."
The lights go out on the Dutch Grand Prix at 11pm AEST Sunday.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.