Daniel Ricciardo back in with a shout at Red Bull? “Crazy things happen,” he says
"Do I have any proof that I'll be anywhere else?"
Daniel Ricciardo insists he has no “proof” that a Red Bull switch is back on the cards.
The disastrous form of Sergio Perez has reopened the debate about his status as Max Verstappen’s teammate, despite penning a new contract earlier this year.
Perez piled more pressure onto himself on Saturday in qualifying for the F1 British Grand Prix when he span at Copse, beaching his Red Bull in the gravel. He qualified, woefully, in 19th.
Christian Horner was spotted shaking his head in dismay.
"I would never make any predictions in this sport,” Ricciardo said at Silverstone when asked about replacing Perez. “I feel like every year that this sport goes on, the more it gets.
"I know it goes in the trend of the sport is getting bigger. It's becoming more Hollywood, so to speak, in terms of the profile the sport has.
“And also the narrative that runs with the sport now, and certainly more Hollywood in terms of it's so unpredictable.
"So do I have any proof that I'll be anywhere else? I do not.
“Crazy things happen but I am certainly not in a place to say that or think that or predict that.
“So try and keep doing my thing. Obviously, today wasn't the case.
“But again, I know, not to completely just point the finger, but I felt like there wasn't much more I could do with the situation we put ourselves in."
Ricciardo, in Red Bull’s sister car, the RB, qualified 15th for Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
He entered 2024 back on the grid full-time after a midseason comeback last year at AlphaTauri.
Ricciardo’s presence was supposed to threaten Perez’s place at Red Bull.
But the Australian’s poor form coupled with a series of podium finishes for Perez, behind teammate Verstappen, resulted in a new contract for the current Red Bull driver.
However, Perez’s form has nosedived since and he is under major pressure once again.
