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Daniel Ricciardo believes he knows what is required to secure his F1 future, and Red Bull boss Helmut Marko has not applied any additional pressure.
Ricciardo is the only one of Red Bull’s four current race drivers without a contract for next year.
Uncertainty surrounding his future as the Austrian drinks company ponders Liam Lawson, with a critical clause in the Kiwi’s contract set to expire in the coming days.
Should Red Bull be unable to offer Lawson a race drive for 2025, the highly-rated 22-year-old would become a free agent.
The logical internal seat for him is that filled by Ricciardo, which serves to heap pressure on the eight-time race winner.
In Italy, Ricciardo was classified 13th, behind Williams debutant Franco Colapinto, after a 10-second time penalty was applied.
That was courtesy of an error from RB in his pit stop when serving a five-second penalty acquired for crowding Nico Hulkenberg off the road on the opening lap.
Though still trailing team-mate Yuki Tsunoda in the drivers’ championship, Ricciardo has arguably been the better performing of the pair in recent races.
However, that upswing has coincided with a downturn in car performance.
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“I haven’t had any unreasonable pressure,” Ricciardo said of his current situation.
“I haven’t had the hand on the shoulder, pull me into the room and say ‘Hey, do this or else’.
“But look, I also know what’s required, Maybe this tough talk doesn’t need to be had because, again, I’ve known Helmut [Marko, Red Bull motorsport advisor] a long time, and the system.
“We all know what’s required.
“But he hasn’t been putting extra pressure on me, or being unreasonable or unfair in anything – not at all.
“Probably what is being put out, maybe what he says in the media or something, it’s a bit more heightened.
“But I don’t feel anything additional from him.”
Marko is a firm supporter of Lawson, and earlier this year publicly questioned Ricciardo’s position within RB once Sergio Perez was confirmed with Red Bull Racing for next year.
The Mexican is another complication given the importance of his contribution to the constructors’ championship.
With McLaren having reeled Red Bull Racing in by more than 100 points in that competition, attention has been on Perez, who has not scored a podium since China, to improve.
Should he not in a short period, he could be ousted with Ricciardo thought the driver most likely to replace him – if only for the short term.
However, Perez is not Red Bull Racing’s biggest concern, with an underlying balance issue with the car painfully obvious in Italy.
It creates a delicate situation for Red Bull, which has more drivers than seats, and performance concerns in multiple areas.
