Daniel Ricciardo given timescale to save his F1 seat as Red Bull announce plans
Daniel Ricciardo has until the summer break to convince Red Bull he remains their best choice to race for their sister team.
The Australian has scored fewer than half the number of points amassed by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda so far this year. And while the Japanese's good form has seen him rewarded with a new deal, no such renewal has come Ricciardo's way yet.
Not only is he at risk of not having a place on the F1 grid next year, paddock rumours suggest he might not even make it to the end of the current season. Reserve driver Liam Lawson has a contract which allows him to look elsewhere if he doesn't land a 2025 seat, which is putting extra pressure on Red Bull to act.
Peter Bayer, chief executive of the VCARB team, remains very complimentary of the work Ricciardo has done. But he admitted on Friday that he and senior Red Bull colleagues will discuss during the mid-season break whether or not to make a change.
He said: "We're not in a hurry to take a decision for next year's line-up. We've confirmed Yuki, which was very important for us, and our focus currently is on the car. And [we will] go into the summer break and have a quiet discussion.
"Daniel certainly has helped us tremendously. Looking back last year when he joined the team, he brought a whole new energy and spirit into the team and he has been extremely helpful in supporting Yuki. Yuki has just stated very recently that he still keeps learning from Daniel.
"It's part of our job, also as a mission from the shareholders, to develop drivers. And that's what we currently do. Liam is part of the team, he's our test driver. He's in the simulator. As most of you know he will [test an old F1 car at Imola]. But the decision on the second seat will be taken quietly, and we're not in a hurry."
Liam Lawson is waiting for his first full-time F1 seat
Ricciardo was brought back into the Red Bull fold after he lost his place on the grid when McLaren terminated his contract a year earlier than planned. Christian Horner was impressed with how the Aussie performed in a test at Silverstone and he was promptly parachuted in mid-season to replace the axed Nyck de Vries.
It was hoped that Ricciardo would provide stern competition for Sergio Perez and fight for the Mexican's seat at the main Red Bull team. But Perez has been handed a new two-year contract and Ricciardo is fighting to hang onto his own place. Echoing Bayer's words, Horner also didn't rule out another in-season swap.
He said: "They're all Red Bull Racing drivers and every Red Bull driver knows that there's always pressure and scrutiny. Daniel is in the seat and it's down to him to make the most of that. And then in Formula 1 things are always fluid."