Daniel Ricciardo’s performance in the first four races of the 2024 season has been overshadowed by Yuki Tsunoda. Despite showing promise in pre-season testing, Red Bull had a weak start to the season. This puts Ricciardo, the 34-year-old Australian driver, at risk of being replaced in the Faenza-based team.
Speculations arose that Ricciardo’s stay in Red Bull’s sister team was motivated by commercial interests. Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer agreed with this idea, suggesting that Ricciardo’s age and time in the sport were working against him. However, Ricciardo still had strong support within Red Bull, which Palmer identified as the reason for his stay in the team.
Palmer also highlighted Ricciardo’s positive influence and his past success with Red Bull. Ricciardo’s previous achievements, including 7 race wins, allowed him to maintain his position within the team. This gives him more time to deliver results and avoid being dismissed from the team, as was the case with Nyck De Vries.
According to Jolyon Palmer, Tsunoda has been driving exceptionally well compared to Ricciardo in the 2024 season. Palmer believes Tsunoda’s performance puts him in a favorable position for a possible spot in Red Bull or even Aston Martin next season. However, Fernando Alonso’s contract extension may limit Tsunoda’s options at Aston Martin.
Furthermore, Palmer stated that if roles were reversed and Ricciardo outperformed Tsunoda, he would have a chance at Red Bull. This serves as a compliment to Tsunoda, as it shows his progress and potential. Only time will tell how the two drivers will fare throughout the season. Ricciardo will need to improve his performance soon to stay competitive.
Red Bull is constantly working to improve its results in the upcoming races. The Italian team currently occupies sixth place in the standings, just ahead of the Haas F1 team.
