Ricciardo literally driving to survive in F1 paddock
The Formula One circus has rolled out of Melbourne for another year, leaving more questions than answers about how much longer Australia’s favourite driver will remain under the big top.
In a sport where everything happens at high speed, the fate of Daniel Ricciardo’s continuation in motor racing’s premier championship is taking place at a snail’s pace.
He’s already survived one sacking from McLaren after getting thrown a lifeline by RB but speculation is mounting that Ricciardo’s days are numbered.
A half-glass full type of bloke, the West Australian is clinging to the hope he can snag a seat in one of the top teams next year but that’s looking increasingly unlikely as he struggles to make an impression in the underperforming RB.
If no-one else, Carlos Sainz remains well ahead of him on every team’s wish list after winning Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix for a Ferrari team that has already told him to start looking for a new job in 2025.
Despite the rumours and conjecture, nothing about Ricciardo’s future has been decided yet, and probably won’t be until much later in the season.
But the bleak scenario facing the ‘Honey Badger’ is that he’s rapidly approaching his last lap in the cutthroat world of F1.
Importantly, for now, he’s still got the public support of his team bosses, particularly Christian Horner, but the unanswered question that won’t go away is whether Ricciardo’s next visit to the Australian Grand Prix in 2025 will be as a driver or a VIP guest.
Although he’s not the oldest man on the grid – Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg were all born before him – at 34, Ricciardo’s age is starting to count against him because he’s now one of the senior citizens under siege from the new breed of fearless drivers breaking into the sport.
One of these is Yuki Tsunoda, his Japanese teammate at RB.
Tsunoda is 11 years younger than the Australian and has never finished better than fourth in a grand prix, but he’s been driving rings around Ricciardo this season, beating him in each of the first three races in 2024.
That’s a real problem for Ricciardo and if he really wants to retain his seat next year, he needs to change that, starting right away, but the omens are not great.
The next race is in Tsunoda’s homeland, in less than a fortnight, at a Suzuka track which has not been kind to Ricciardo. In his 10 previous appearances at the Japanese Grand Prix, Ricciardo has finished on the podium just once.
Ricciardo’s 12th-place finish at Albert Park this weekend was an encouraging performance but he’ll need to start banking some points soon if he wants to stick around next year.
In contrast, Australia’s emerging F1 star Oscar Piastri, 22, finished fourth, behind Ferrari’s Sainz and Charles Leclerc, and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris at this home event.
Unlike Ricciardo, the Japanese Grand Prix should suit Piastri. Last year, he finished third in the race.