Daniel Ricciardo has expressed that he didn’t get his “hopes up” about a return to Red Bull amid the team’s choice to provide Sergio Perez with a reprieve in Formula 1.
Perez enduring a wretched run that comprised 28 points in eight rounds in the lead-up to the summer break prompted rumours that he could be replaced mid-season.
But Red Bull has elected to retain Perez next to Max Verstappen, while Ricciardo, who was considered the likeliest option should a change transpire, will remain at RB.
Despite admitting he didn’t dismiss a possible mid-season swap, Ricciardo has denied that he had increased expectations that his dream Red Bull return would occur.
Asked whether he anticipated arriving at the Dutch Grand Prix in Red Bull colours, he said: “I didn’t rule it out, for sure I don’t want to say, ‘Oh no, I never thought that’.
“I thought maybe something could happen, but I also didn’t expect it or kind of get my hopes up.
“I was aware maybe something changes, but let’s just do what I’m doing and if I get a call, I get a call. So that was that.
“Obviously I didn’t get a call, but also that was probably where I mentally prepared myself for the moment, ‘oh, this is it now, this is going to happen’. Pretty unchanged.”
Ricciardo remains in the unique position where he could land a promotion to the Red Bull seat he vacated in 2018 or end up losing his current drive with RB altogether.
Yuki Tsunoda has a deal in place with RB next term, while Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has issued that reserve Liam Lawson is guaranteed a spot on the 2025 grid.
However, Ricciardo has not felt the need to seek clarification over his F1 prospects as he has acknowledged that his on-track results will determine where he ends up.
“Well, no, I mean I didn’t receive the call to be like, ‘hey, what’s up, you’re changing’,” the Australian added. “But no, of course, I still speak [to the team].
“Obviously that week after Spa, it was still not shut down, so we were still able to work. And I had a filming day, so I also spoke to the team after that.
“But yeah, as of, let’s say, moving forward, I think it’s clear that since Montreal, I’ve done more of what was probably expected of me, results-wise.
“So it’s just very much keep doing that, keep kind of, let’s say, performing at the level we know you can. And things will work itself out.
“So it’s, yeah, performance is everything. Obviously I got to keep on it myself and that helps my chances of obviously staying on the grid.”
Ricciardo has accepted that he must showcase that his uptick in competitiveness prior to the break can be translated into a sustained run to merit a Red Bull seat.
Asked whether he had perceived his improvement as enough to deserve the step-up to Red Bull, Ricciardo responded: “I think it’s definitely helped.
“But yeah, I can’t be like, ‘this is enough, guys. Like, come on, surely’.
“I appreciate that it wasn’t over the course of the first half of the season. It was more so my performances got better in that last part. So it’s definitely better.
“But yeah, I can’t say this is definitely enough yet.
“I know that if I continue to do this over the course of the next few, then I could be like, all right, this is the real me now, and I’ve proven it over a course of races.
“But yeah, it’s probably, is it subjective to say that’s just enough? I don’t know. Maybe it feels like it is, maybe it doesn’t. But I’m happier.
“But I’m not going to make a song and dance and be like, ‘I’ve been the best. Do something about it’. I’ll just keep doing my thing.”
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