For the first time in Formula One history, each team lined up for the first Grand Prix of the season with the same drivers they had for the finale in Abu Dhabi last November. Yet the uncertainty over where a number of the drivers will be for 2025 is high with a number who will be switching teams and some who will be forced to leave the sport.
Zhou Guanyu sits currently with zero points this year as does Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sargeant and with the exception of the ex-Mercedes driver the other pair are almost definitely heading out for F1. Another driver who has performed poorly against his team mate – and is not Sergio Perez is also facing the bullet, although for Daniel Ricciardo this has been rumoured to be happening before the resumption after the summer break.
Ricciardo was brought Ito the team following his sacking at McLaren and was expected to replace Sergio Perez when his contract expired this season. Yet the Mexican driver has signed a shiny new deal with the Red Bull team despite his results on track spiralling downwards.
Tsunoda thanks his team mate
Perez was under pressure last season around this time of the year given his results were deteriorating after he had won two of the first four Grand Prix of the season. Yet Checo recovered to take second place in the drivers’ championship and all looked good again at the start of this year.
Perez claimed three P2’s in the first four races and next time out was third in China. However, since the return to Shanghai, Checo has a best result of P4 in Miami followed by three lower points scoring positions and two DNF’s of his own making.
Last year despite qualifying poorly, Sergio claimed a top six Grand Prix finish all but three of the 20 races he finished. Contrast that to the present where Perez has failed to make the top six in five of the Grand Prix since Miami. Of course Christian Horner weekly has to field questions over the underperforming RB driver, yet for now he has defended the Australian starting his work behind the scenes has been invaluable to the team’s progress.
Yuki Tsunoda intimated that Ricciardo had ‘saved his F1 career’ since joining RB 11 races into last year as the Japanese driver has learned from his experienced tea mate not to scream down team radio when things go wrong but to remain calm and let his driving do the talking.
Norris faces the most important decision yet
Ricciardo recovery
Yet it is Tsunoda who has been awarded a new contract for next year, while Ricciardo remains the only one of the four driving for the Red Bull stale who is uncertain of his future next year.
The pressure was ramped up on Ricciardo ahead of the race last weekend at the Red Bull Ring when Dr. Helmut Marko intimated the tea will soon need to get their young star Liam Lawson into the team. Yet for Daniel there may be light at the end of the tunnel as he appears to be getting a grip on his difficult to handle RB car.
In qualifying the Aussie has recovered to 3-8 against Tsunoda and in Austria he both out qualified the Japanese driver and due to the late crash between Norris and Verstappen Ricciardo came home in P9 to score another couple of points. His points tally is now 11-19 to his team mate, but over the past three Grand Prix he has finished ahead of Yuki and is looking more confident once again.
This time last season, Ricciardo was the reserve driver for the team yet following the British Grand Prix he was given a test which Christian Horner claimed demonstrated his lap times would have placed him towards the front of the grid. With the Silverstone race looming Ricciardo is hoping the big upgrade the RB team brought in Canada will finally deliver at the Northamptonshire circuit this weekend.
Red Bull boss says situation “fluid”
Yet Christian Horner is this week again answering questions on Ricciardo’s future and seemingly does not wish to back his driver as he has done with Sergio Perez.
“I think anything regarding drivers is going to be dealt with in-house before we talk to the media about it,” the Red Bull boss told assembled media.
“They’re all, as I say, Red Bull racing drivers and every Red Bull driver knows that there’s always a pressure, that there’s always a scrutiny.
“But, Daniel is in the seat and it’s down to him to make the most of that. And then, it’s always, as we see in Formula 1, things are always fluid.”
Horner refuses to back Daniel to the end of the year
Horner had backed the recruitment of Ricciardo following Helmut Marko’s insistence that Nyck de Vries be given the chance to ‘lead the team’ last season. The Red Bull consultant was forced to admit he’d got it wrong backing the young Dutch driver who was ditched in favour of Daniel just ten races into the season.
Yet with another Marko protege waiting in the wings in the form of Liam Lawson, Horner refuses to back his choice of driver stating the matter is in the hands of the Australian eight times Grand Prix winner.
“Well, I think Daniel, he knew this was a lifeline for him. His test at Silverstone was outstanding last year, which was what provided the opportunity,” said Horner.
“It’s now for him to make use of that. And I’m sure by his own admission, the first part of the season didn’t go to plan, but he’s started to show signs of the old Daniel. We saw it in Miami. We saw it in the first part of the weekend there. We saw it in Montreal.
“And obviously that’s for Peter [Bayer] and Laurent [Mekies to decide if the Australian deserves to see out the season at RB].”
Maybe just three races remain?
This is the first time the Red Bull boss has suggested Ricciardo could be replaced mid-season and with just three races remaining before the summer break time is short indeed.
Horner resumes, “They’re [RB] working closely with him. But in Formula 1, there’s always pressure. He knows that better than anyone, and particularly in Red Bull when they’re all Red Bull racing drivers, there’s always pressure regarding any seat. But Daniel is more than aware of that.”
The new CEO of RB, Peter Bayer also commented on Ricciardo’s predicament in support of Christian Horner’s position. “Perhaps just to add on what Christian perfectly summarised, Liam is part of the team, he’s our test driver, he’s in the simulator.
“As most of you know, he’ll be in the TPC [testing of previous car]. We do our job to develop young drivers, but the decision on the second seat will be taken quietly and we’re not in a hurry.”
Ricciardo has two third place finishes as his best result at the Silverstone track and while he doesn’t expect to be troubling the podium this weekend, he will believe he can make it into the top 10 shootout in qualifying given he was fractions outside the time reared to progress last time out in Austria.
FIA ‘powerless’ to punish Max further
“That is the goal”: Newey announces Future decision
As the 2025 Formula One season begins to take shape, uncertainty looms over one of its key figures – Adrian Newey. The renowned engineer is the subject of intense speculation as several teams vie for his signature. Despite the intense interest, a final decision on his future appears to be some time away.
Recent reports suggesting that Newey had already decided to join a new team were premature. The 65-year-old has yet to commit to Ferrari, Aston Martin, Williams or any other team. And according to Newey, that is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future.
Currently, Newey is immersed in his work on the RB17, Red Bull’s hypercar, as he revealed to Sky Sports on Tuesday. Once that project is complete, he plans to take a break, perhaps to decide on his next steps in Formula One…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
Sack Perez and put Danny Ric in his seat so Lawson can have the Jr. Seat , I believe that would solve all of of their problems.