After two disappointing years with McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo’s return to Red Bull in a third driver role will provide him with a sense of familiarity and comfort as he hauls himself back to an environment in which he once flourished.
Ricciardo has asserted that he is not finished with F1 and he hopes to get back onto the grid in 2024, but it’s a prospect that’s made difficult given his numerous lowlights since the commencement of the 2021 season.
The Australian will have time to clear his mind and re-evaluate his priorities as his head won’t be clouded by the constant pressure to perform.
Criticism aimed his way was plentiful throughout his McLaren stint and it makes the likelihood of a comeback all the less likely – but there still is a chance that things could fall into his hands as 2023 develops.
Coming off the back of a commanding year, there is no glaring reason why Red Bull should change its ways – it won 17 out of 22 races in 2022 en route to double championship success, enjoying one of the most dominant seasons in F1 history.
Its management is stable and has been consistently practical, with key figures such as Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Adrian Newey in place for some time.
But in the latter stages of the 2022 season, cracks began to show in the partnership between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, which slightly stained what was an otherwise exemplary display.
A team order debacle from Brazil overshadowed Red Bull’s end to the season, in which Verstappen refused to give a position back to Perez amid the Mexican’s fight for second in the standings. Verstappen kept his reasons exclusively to the team, but it was a clear indication that the partnership was not as smooth as it appeared to be.
Verstappen, who is rapidly climbing the F1 records ladder with his 30+ grand prix wins and two world titles, holds great power within the Red Bull team. With a contract in place until the end of 2028, he is its past, present and future and likely holds a resonant place at the decision-making table.
Perez has played a strong team role during his first two years at the team, but the Brazil incident complicates the situation. In truth, if he’s unable to match Verstappen, then refusing to slip into a second driver role will not bode well for his future. He has carried out that position for the last two years, but for how much longer does he wish to do so? When all is said and done, does he want his F1 career to be directly associated with Verstappen’s success?
Ricciardo’s arrival places an extra element into Red Bull’s future – but Perez insists that he is not concerned about being replaced by the eight-time grand prix winner going forward.
“I’m pretty relaxed,” he told Sky Sports News. “We live under a lot of pressure all the time, it doesn’t change anything from my side. I think it’s a great achievement from the team to have a driver like Daniel. He’s going to contribute a lot to our team. He’s a great guy, he’s one of the guys I get on most with on the paddock. It’s great to have Daniel in the team and from my side it doesn’t change anything. We started our careers at a similar time so we’ve known each other a long time. I certainly get on with him.”
Red Bull, as is the case with every team, is constantly looking to improve itself – whether it be through car development, managerial structure or its driver line-up. If unrest grows between Verstappen and Perez to a point where it becomes an issue, action will have to be taken.
Perez currently has a deal in place until the end of the 2024 campaign, but the Mexican knows first-hand that a contract term doesn’t 100 per cent guarantee a seat.
Ricciardo would then be the most obvious choice as a replacement, but it would be a great risk inserting him into the car following his challenging years at McLaren.
Another issue is that there is no sure way of evaluating him. The pressure that comes with a grand prix weekend is hard to replicate through a private test. Had he ended his McLaren stint on a stronger note, confidence in a return would be higher.
But if there’s a home where Ricciardo can rediscover his form that once made him a fearsome competitor, it’s Red Bull. And if the team starts to recognise that, then Perez’s future may not be so secure.
Perez should have been worried a few years ago, but certainly not by Ricciardo who I doubt could perform any better at this point in his career. Perez not even a good number 2 — he couldn’t even beat Leclerc which is pretty sad.
Ricciardo is no match for Perez. If RB wants a 2nd driver who def won’t compete with Max, and who may keep his mouth shut then maybe Ricciardo is their guy if Perez tries to compete with Max.
In F1 you never know who is truly safe.
They already have that with Perez. He couldn’t even beat average Leclerc in an inferior car.
All the Perez supporters (I.e. Max haters) make me laugh lol. Perez is super consistent, and great on road courses yes…but to think he even has half a chance to beat Max over a season is ridiculous. The hate for Max is down to the mentality of today’s fans and Hamilton fanboys. If this was 20 years ago, Max would be praised for his cut throat mentality, and his ability to push his car to the very limit at every corner. His recklessness from his younger days would be called fearlessness. But instead, this new generation of ‘fans’ calls it a bad thing. It’s sad really.