F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo's Future Questioned - "Needs A Result More Than Anything Else"
Former Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan has questioned Daniel Ricciardo's current performance in regards to him staying afloat in the sport. These remarks follow comments from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, advising that he must "come up with something soon" to be in contention for a move to Red Bull, or potentially even for a contract extension with RB.
Key Takeaways:
- Former Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan questions Daniel Ricciardo's current performance and future in the sport, following Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko's warning for him to improve promptly.
- Ricciardo's struggles, including being overshadowed by his Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda and on-track incidents like nearly being lapped by Sergio Perez in Jeddah, raise concerns about his place in Formula 1.
- Jordan emphasizes the urgency for Ricciardo to improve, especially with emerging talents like Oliver Bearman making notable debuts.
Jordan doubts whether Ricciardo has fully recovered from his challenging stint at McLaren, especially given his difficult start to the 2024 season, after being overshadowed by his Red Bull teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, in both races so far.
It's worth noting that he was very close to being lapped by Red Bull's Sergio Perez during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, albeit after a 41-second pit stop, before spinning out on the track. Because of this, a lot may need to be done by him to secure a seat alongside Max Verstappen in 2025.
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Talking on the Formula for Success podcast, Jordan spoke on whether he would sign Ricciardo if he was a current team owner on the grid. Though he admires the Australian driver's personality, he questioned if Ricciardo has lost the zeal to perform during his time in Mclaren. He said:
“I don’t think there’s a more loved personality in F1.
“Certainly got the best smile I have ever seen in F1.
“He’s a magic guy to have in a team. But that doesn’t give you the right to be the driver in the team and I am just worried that the end of the McLaren era was really something that stood out and I couldn’t see where he’d lost it.
“There’s been nothing since then that convinces me that I would want to invest my hard earned sponsorship cash to keep Daniel.”
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As his RB contract approaches expiry at the end of this season, and with junior driver, Oliver Bearman, making a notable debut in Formula 1, Jordan underscored the importance of the Australian urgently elevating his performance. He added:
“He needs a result more than anyone perhaps.
“He needs to get it together because otherwise he’s going to be replaced. He can understand why he would be replaced because the performances are not just there.
“He shouldn’t be spinning the car, he shouldn’t be putting himself out of sequence in a pit stop. You don't see Max doing that, you don’t see other people doing that. Daniel, as much as we adore him and I think he’s a huge asset for F1, the stopwatch never lies.
“The stopwatch in terms of Daniel, the question marks are out there. When we see people like Oliver Bearman coming like the way he did, people like Daniel will need to look over his shoulder and think ‘how much time do I have left here?’.”