“Ricciardo has a mental problem”

Daniel Ricciardo’s journey in Formula 1 has been quite eventful. He was once a top driver on the grid but later took a sabbatical year after his stints with Renault and McLaren. He was even considered a possible candidate for Milton Keynes box during Sergio Pérez’s low times in 2023. However, recent irregularities have put his position within the energy scheme at risk. There are rumors that he needs to perform well in two upcoming grand prix (Japan and China) to prove his worth and keep his spot in the Visa Cash RB. Despite this, Helmut Marko, the advisor to the energy team, denies any plans to change drivers soon.

The manager and head of Red Bull’s team, Helmut Marko, has been openly critical of Daniel Ricciardo’s performance. Despite warning the Australian driver multiple times, Marko has not decided on his future with the team. Marko has urged everyone to remain calm and wait for further developments. However, some fans speculate that Liam Lawson may replace Ricciardo at the Miami Grand Prix. This speculation arose due to Ayumu Iwasa’s presence during Free Practice 1 of the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. However, Iwasa’s presence is unrelated to any decision and is merely for the mandatory FIA test for rookies.

Red Bull has been unusually patient with a driver who has failed to score points in the first three grands prix of the season and has been performing below expectations, as well as his teammate Tsunoda. According to Marko, both drivers have access to each other’s data, so there are no secrets. Yuki and Daniel have the same car, and everything is identical. However, when asked about Ricciardo’s performance, Marko said that Daniel has shown in the past that he is a fast driver but has a mental problem.

The Austrian directly points to Ricciardo’s poor performance as a psychological problem. Behind closed doors, he assures that they have not yet decided. Although they will give the Australian a period of margin to demonstrate his worth again, the record is not very encouraging for Daniel. He took over from his predecessor, Nyck de Vries, in the middle of last year when Marko struck down the Dutchman himself. From what it seems, the Australian’s role will have to change significantly at the beginning of the year so as not to experience the same ending. Daniel, better than anyone, knows how things are spent at Red Bull.