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Daniel Ricciardo has said that he’s prepared for the possibility of not racing at next month’s Austin GP. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, the Visa Cashapp RB driver was visibly emotional as he reflected on the uncertain scenarios clouding his future in Formula 1.
Neither Red Bull nor RB have made any concrete decisions regarding their driver lineup for 2025—or even 2024. While both Ricciardo and Sergio Perez were assured of their seats until the end of the season during the summer break, it’s been clear that both drivers are under constant evaluation. Ricciardo arrived in Singapore with the unsettling prospect that it could potentially be his last race. Despite no obvious reason to replace him following the Baku GP, the unexpected speculation overshadowed his entire race weekend.
Ricciardo’s chances of a strong result in Singapore were slim after his qualifying session was hampered by unpredictable soft tires—an issue many drivers struggled with. He entered the race assuming it might be his last, and in a strategic move on the final lap, he pitted for fresh soft tires, denying Lando Norris the fastest lap and aiding Max Verstappen’s championship fight. It’s understood that the decision to either retain Ricciardo or replace him with Liam Lawson will be made following the Singapore GP.
When asked about the prospect of not racing in Austin, Ricciardo acknowledged it as a potential outcome. Accepting the situation, he said he may have fallen short of proving himself worthy of the Red Bull Racing seat, a drive where he had hoped to conclude his career. The focus on Singapore intensified the pressure, making it a particularly difficult weekend for the 34-year-old. Emotionally drained, Ricciardo addressed the media, acknowledging the swirling rumors about his future while coming to terms with the possibility that he might lose his seat.
Asked if he was going to be racing in the VCARB in Austin, Daniel Ricciardo said
“Look, obviously there's a realistic chance that it's not going to happen. I think obviously it's been a very race-by-race situation with Red Bull, I think, for all of us in a way, obviously Checo as well and at times it feels like it's going one way, then it goes the other. And so yeah obviously there was a lot of emphasis on this weekend and I would have loved a better weekend and who knows if that would have changed anything or if the decision's been made already even prior to the weekend, you know what I mean. So yeah I'm obviously prepared for it and that's why I think over the weekend just tried to acknowledge a few things as well with myself and I think acknowledged also why I came back into the sport.”
Evaluating the potential scenarios, the Western Australian added:
“You know sometimes you got to see big picture and I always said I don't just want to be a guy that's here on the grid and fighting for a point every now and then, which has kind of been how this year has gone. But obviously this year the purpose was to try and then do good enough to get back into Red Bull and obviously fight for wins again and see if I've still got it. I feel like obviously I came up short with that. So I think then it's okay what else am I fighting for here, what else is going to give me fulfilment. Because I've been a young driver as well and at some point you know I don't just want to take up space also. But I think for me if I'm not able to fight at the front with Red Bull, then yeah I have to ask myself what am I what am I staying on the grid for. So that's something I've also come to peace with.”
Daniel Ricciardo rules out reserve driver role with Red Bull in the future
Daniel Ricciardo expressed that a reserve driver role with Red Bull in the future is not an appealing option for him, reflecting on how it has hindered his chances of reclaiming his old seat. He also emphasized the reasons for his return to the sport in 2023, explaining that his goal was never to settle into a reserve position.
Ricciardo acknowledged that the shifting dynamics within the Red Bull camp have made this season particularly challenging, with intense scrutiny on his performances every weekend. Feeling disheartened by the developments over the Singapore GP weekend, he suggested that younger drivers may now be better suited to simulator duties than those from his generation. This sentiment underlined his growing uncertainty about his future in Formula 1.
“No, look, obviously last year was to, it made a lot of sense to keep one foot in the door and obviously a big picture was to try and get back at Red Bull. I think if I was to do that again. There's not really, you know, I'm not gonna restart my career. I'm also 35 and I still showed the pace that I've had over the years, but it's obviously been evident that it's been harder for me to show it every weekend, you know? And maybe that is a little bit of an age thing, you know? I think it definitely came easier for me when I was 25 as opposed to 35, but also maybe the competition is just increasing, you know? I think that's probably a common thing with all sports, simulators are getting better, the kids are getting younger, so naturally they have access to all on-boards now. So they can watch and study everyone.”
He added:
“So yeah, maybe it's just the levels increased and it's probably a tool task for me to fight at that level week in, week out. So I can't be disappointed with that, I think I'm happy that once upon a time I could do it and that was a lot of fun and I also would if this is it I want to make sure I walk away or let's say leave the sport with good memories of it and it doesn't get into that place where it's just a grind and I'm out in Q1 every weekend, that's obviously not fun.”
Daniel Ricciardo made it clear that simply fighting for points wasn’t the reason he returned to Formula 1. Having experienced the highs of his career with Red Bull Racing, his aim was to get back to clinching podiums and winning races. However, the uncertainty surrounding his future has cast a shadow over some of his best weekends this season, including China, Japan, and Singapore.
Currently, Ricciardo is 10 points behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda in the drivers’ standings, while his team RB is just three points ahead of Haas and at risk of losing sixth place in the constructors’ championship. Despite these challenges, Ricciardo set a new lap record around the Marina Bay circuit in Singapore with a time of 1:34.486, breaking Lewis Hamilton’s previous record of 1:35.867 from 2023.
