Daniel Ricciardo is in a crucial moment of his F1 career. Not only is he driving to earn another year at VCARB, but there is a potential opportunity at Red Bull. Sergio Perez is performing very poorly, which is now forcing Red Bull to look at alternatives. The most practical options to replace the 34-year-old are Yuki Tsunoda and Ricciardo himself.
Ricciardo is currently in a slightly more positive run of form, though he is aware that more strong results are necessary to really change minds. However, results like his P15 in qualifying will make it difficult to make a compelling argument.
Of course, Ricciardo was not culpable for VCARB’s underwhelming qualifying result in Silverstone. The Faenza-based team failed to optimise the session, putting both drivers in difficult positions during their flying laps.
Considering the fine margins that separate the midfield, operational mistakes are almost always punished. Therefore, the poor judgement shown by Laurent Mekies’ team was costly in Q2.
Ricciardo: I didn’t understand VCARB strategy
Daniel Ricciardo discussed the team’s approach at length post-session, arguing that very fundamental mistakes were made from the pit wall:
“At the time, it didn’t make much sense to me. Both runs, honestly, I felt like our plan was well off.
“At the end, we’re struggling to get the lap in. So [I was] creating enemies in the last corner, overtaking. I hate when people do it to me. I’m being told – do it, or we’re not going to get a lap.
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 06: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Visa Cash App RB prepares to drive in the garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2024 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202407060535 // Usage for editorial use only //
“You start [your lap] two seconds behind Zhou, you’re never going to get a good lap in dirty air…
“We’ve struggled this weekend. I think the last three weekends haven’t been easy. We’ve found a way to make it work. But this weekend, I felt like, as a team, it wasn’t going to be easy.
“I think the frustration comes from that as well, when we don’t have the luxury to not get it right. I felt like both runs in Q2, we were doing a very questionable programme, far from optimised.
“Not saying we could be P8 or something like that, but we certainly didn’t give ourselves a chance today.”
Luckily for Ricciardo and teammate Yuki Tsunoda, the VCARB 01 should be in contention for points at the British GP. Mixed weather conditions could provide a golden opportunity for drivers in the midfield pack.
Across the entire season, Tsunoda has objectively been the top-performing driver at the Racing Bulls. However, Ricciardo is undoubtedly in a better place now than when the season started.
This is significant because, as the summer break approaches, the next sequence of rounds could be decisive. Red Bull’s decision to retain Sergio Perez is evidence of how even senior figures in F1 can make quite horrendous misjudgements.
In this context, the likes of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko are not immune from recency bias. Considering their sustained support of Ricciardo in 2024 so far, the 8-time race winner is still in the mix for a new contract.
