At the age of 34, Daniel Ricciardo should be making headlines for his performances on track, unfortunately, recent comments from Frans Verschuur and Jacques Villeneuve have diverted that focus.
In the run-up to the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ricciardo’s ability and professionalism have been called into question by former drivers, industry experts, and other quarters including betting sites. Gambling expert Matty Treuberg says some Australian betting sites offer markets on more than 25 sports, including motorsports in many cases, so it’s easy for local fans to bet on Ricciardo.
However, at present, the top bookmakers currently have odds of up to 750/1 for Daniel Ricciardo to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. The fact that teammate Yuki Tsunoda is priced at around 500/1 rubs further salt into the wound.
Verschuur’s criticism of Ricciardo comes alongside his lambasting of Valtteri Bottas, branding the two as clowns that might be better suited to working in a circus because of their perceived lack of focus.
While it might seem harsh to attack drivers for showing a bit of personality off the track, poor performances are the driving factor for the criticism.
The fact that Ricciardo is not yet confirmed for Red Bull Racing’s 2025 roster has seen critics demand more focus and better performances.
Ricciardo and racing legend Jacques Villeneuve have also been embroiled in a war of words following Villeneuve’s comments in the run up to the recent Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal that Ricciardo’s career has been rescued by his image rather than skill.
Ricciardo fired back with an aggressive retort that questioned the comments that Villeneuve described as being unprofessional and personal.
While Ricciardo has every right to defend himself, the fact of the matter is that his performances have not been of a high enough standard this season. The Aussie currently finds himself on just 11 points in the F1 standings, 9 points behind teammate Tsunoda.
And while Tsunoda and Perez have already had their contract announcements made for Red Bull and VCARB, Ricciardo has not and must still show more performance improvements like he did in Canada where took eighth place, earning a valuable 4 points followed in the next race in Spain with a ninth place and two more points.
Ricciardo will be aware that he hasn’t been performing well enough this season and believes that racing with a bit more anger and intensity will be key to him regaining some kind of form and consistency.
While he remains a valuable commercial asset, the likelihood of him getting the top seat at Red Bull is low, and he knows this. Self-reflection has seen him come to terms with the fact that off-track activities could be stretching him too thin. He has also invited constructive criticism in order to improve.
While he has been defensive about outside criticism, the facts speak for themselves when compared with Tsunoda over the 19 events that they have competed in as teammates.
Ricciardo has scored just 17 points to Tsunoda’s 35 and he finds himself an average of 1.9 places behind him in finishing positions.
This newfound focus could be good news for Red Bull who should see an invigorated Ricciardo, and this could also be good news for motorsports fans. Those who search online and crypto gambling operators for motorsports markets will find great odds on Ricciardo. His new determination and need to improve his performance could result in great value for bettors.
