Peter Bayer, CEO of Red Bull's second Formula 1 team RB, has confirmed that no decision has been made regarding Daniel Ricciardo's continuation with the team for the 2025 season.
The team has already secured Yuki Tsunoda, creating a predicament—whether to give Liam Lawson his full-time F1 debut next year or risk losing him to another team.
Red Bull F1 advisor Dr. Helmut Marko this week expressed the mounting pressure on his shoulders to replace the underperforming Ricciardo. "The shareholders have made it known that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly," he conveyed to Kleine Zeitung newspaper.
"We have to put a young driver in there soon. That would be Liam Lawson."
When questioned about Marko's seemingly straightforward remarks, 34-year-old Ricciardo stated on Thursday that he has "no opinion" regarding what it implies. "There's been no pressure, no ultimatums, but of course when you're looking at performance then that's up until the summer break," the Australian mentioned.
"I've been in the sport for a long time, so I know that if I get my ass kicked every weekend, at some point someone will say 'Hey, mate, step up, or else'. But that hasn't happened yet."
Ricciardo perceives Marko's comments as potentially motivational but acknowledges he lacks real alternatives within the Red Bull family for 2025.
However, CEO Bayer concurred with Marko's view that RB is transitioning to emphasize its role as a 'junior team'.
"The owners have actually stated this, but I don't necessarily want to call it a junior team," he shared with Kleine Zeitung newspaper. "Our job is to develop young drivers, but we also have the job of being successful in terms of sport and business, and that cannot be achieved with young drivers alone," said Bayer.
"That's why we believe that the mix of a young driver and an experienced driver is perfect."
Yet, Bayer admits that Ricciardo's position is not guaranteed. "We have extended Yuki's contract for the long term, which makes me extremely happy," he said. "Now we have another decision to make for 2025. But we are not in a rush."
"It is a luxury that we have Liam Lawson as a reserve and simulator driver. At the same time, we want to give Daniel time to prove himself, and then we will make a decision."
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