F1 information: Is time operating out for Daniel Ricciardo?

Daniel Ricciardo’s stunning mid-season return to the Formulation 1 grid a 12 months in the past had the makings of the newest dream ending within the sport.

However because the grid arrived in Singapore for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, that dream ending appears to have the sensation of a final stand.

Current developments round him, in addition to the driving force’s inconsistent type, have seen that dream tackle extra of a nightmare feeling. And whereas this weekend marks his return to the Singapore Grand Prix, a race he missed final 12 months attributable to harm, there’s a thought that his time at Visa Money App RB F1 Crew — and doubtlessly within the sport itself — could possibly be drawing to an in depth.

Ricciardo’s shock return to the grid a season in the past, changing the struggling Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri, was welcomed all through the paddock by journalists and Netflix producers alike. Whereas Max Verstappen and Purple Bull had been operating away with the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, respectively, the return of the supremely marketable Ricciardo supplied one thing of a spark.

However that return was derailed by a apply crash on the Dutch Grand Prix that resulted in a damaged bone in his left hand, and Ricciardo’s subsequent surgical procedure sidelined him for a number of races. That handed a chance to order driver Liam Lawson who capitalized on his probability with a number of spectacular performances, together with a ninth-place end on the Singapore Grand Prix.

At that time within the season, Lawson’s P9 was the group’s greatest results of the 12 months.

After all, Ricciardo returned to the grid and delivered a command efficiency of his personal, capitalizing on a powerful qualifying run — and a slipstream from teammate Yuki Tsunoda in each Q1 and Q2 — to qualify fourth on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. Ricciardo parlayed that right into a P7 within the Grand Prix itself. That may have been his solely factors results of the 12 months, but it surely went into the books because the group’s greatest.

AlphaTauri — now Visa Money App RB F1 Crew — confronted a troublesome resolution filling out their 2024 driver lineup, finally rolling with the veterans in Tsunoda and Ricciardo, leaving Lawson sidelined as a reserve. Nevertheless, the difficulty of becoming three drivers into two seats was not the one unattainable mathematical downside the group confronted. Past the 2 VCARB seats, the Purple Bull household additionally confronted the difficulty of becoming 4 drivers into three seats. Actually, Max Verstappen is locked into one among their 4 seats so long as he needs it, however with Sergio Pérez getting into 2024 on the ultimate 12 months of his contract not solely did the three drivers at VCARB desire a seat for 2024, however they had been additionally eying Pérez’s seat at Purple Bull for 2025.

A state of affairs Ricciardo himself typically termed because the “fairytale” ending to his F1 story.

That dream state of affairs took a serious hit this summer season when Purple Bull introduced that Pérez had signed a brand new take care of the group that might preserve him in his present seat by 2026. That was adopted by Tsunoda asserting a brand new deal of his personal at VCARB, giving him one other 12 months in his present seat.

Three seats down with one remaining, and a number of drivers vying for that spot.

Whereas Ricciardo might need loved the within monitor to that seat, and a powerful efficiency in Montreal through the Canadian Grand Prix maybe got here at an excellent time, reporting over the summer season illustrated simply how tenuous his grasp on that spot was.

First was the report that surfaced involving Lawson’s contract with Purple Bull. In keeping with Purple Bull Senior Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, Lawson’s contract with the group accommodates an escape clause. As such, if Lawson doesn’t get a seat at Purple Bull or VCARB, he’s free to discover different choices.

This comes at a less-than-ideal in case you are competing with him for a seat. Given the variety of spots nonetheless to be confirmed for 2025 — 9 for these preserving depend — Lawson might definitely have choices. If you wish to preserve Lawson within the household, providing him a seat could also be preferable to seeing him stroll.

Then there was reporting, additionally prompted by feedback by Marko, that indicated that Purple Bull shareholders could also be pushing for a youthful driver to be in that seat at VCARB. Talking with Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung forward of the Austrian Grand Prix, Marko outlined {that a} transfer in a youthful path at Visa Money App RB F1 Crew could also be coming down from on excessive. “The shareholders have made it clear that [VCARB] is a junior group and now we have to behave accordingly,” mentioned the Purple Bull advisor.

“The intention was for Ricciardo to qualify for a return to Purple Bull Racing with distinctive performances. That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, in order that plan is off the desk. We must put in a younger driver quickly,” continued Marko. “That will be Liam Lawson.”

That was again in the summertime. Now that Autumn is upon us, the dialog relating to Ricciardo has accelerated. Marko continues to trace at an announcement relating to Lawson following this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, with rumors swirling that Ricciardo may even get replaced by the group forward of america Grand Prix in October.

That reporting pressured Ricciardo — beneath the watchful eyes of representatives from each VCARB and Purple Bull — to deal with his unsure future throughout media day Thursday in Singapore:

Now, EVERYTHING that will get reported within the F1 world, significantly on the subject of driver motion, wants context and a wholesome grain of salt or two. The nice physician Marko is definitely not shy when providing a quote, and there could possibly be a little bit of gamesmanship at play right here.

However issues do appear to be trending in a sure path.

Now, can Ricciardo get the RB01 “on the rostrum,” as he indicated was his plan throughout these feedback? If Friday’s first two apply classes are any indication, he might need an out of doors shot. Ricciardo was seventh-fastest in FP1 Friday, and sixth-fastest in FP2, and with teammate Yuki Tsunoda up within the prime 5 for each classes, there may be potential for VCARB to ship a shocker, and Ricciardo himself to ship a press release drive together with his future within the playing cards.

Ricciardo sounded assured following apply on Friday.

“It was a very good day for the entire Crew. Yuki and I completed within the prime seven in each classes. It was actually shut, I feel 4 of us completed inside two hundredths of a second. We’re pleased with the automotive,” mentioned Ricciardo in VCARB’s post-practice report. “There’s at all times some effective tuning to do, but it surely was good to see ourselves in good factors scoring positions in the present day. We’ve got a good bundle right here and look aggressive. I had a variety of grip in the present day, and the circuit was actually enjoyable to drive. Hopefully our tempo stays tomorrow going into qualifying.”

However this does appear to be transferring rapidly, from “Ricciardo is perhaps in danger for 2025” to “Lawson is perhaps in that seat for 2025” to now “Lawson is perhaps in that seat come October.”

If, hypothetically talking, Lawson does take the second seat at VCARB, the place does that go away Ricciardo? In any case, we’re speaking a few former race winner, and one of many sport’s best-known, and best-marketable, personalities. In a sport crammed with widespread figures Ricciardo is close to the highest, no matter race type, and he attracts a crowd wherever he goes, like he did right here on the Miami Grand Prix on media day:

Picture by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Pictures

Did I embrace this photograph since you get an ideal view of the again of my head within the speedy bottom-left foreground with sun shades on my head? It’s definitely a risk …

However getting again on monitor right here, racing shouldn’t be a cheap endeavor. Driver marketability continues to play a job, even in the price cap period of F1. Success off the grid performs a job in success on the grid, and Ricciardo’s reputation off the monitor is one other line on his resume, and an vital one at that.

However that’s the draw of Ricciardo, and in a sport the place driver advertising and marketing is at all times a consideration that might play a job in preserving him on the grid subsequent season. Nevertheless, if there may be not a spot for him within the Purple Bull household — and the transfer is certainly made to Lawson, both for the remainder of this season or for 2025 — then what’s left for Ricciardo in F1? The final seat up for grabs in such a scenario can be a spot at Sauber subsequent Nico Hülkenberg, however Valtteri Bottas and Gabriel Bortoleto are thought-about the favorites there.

And if not in F1, you’d anticipate Ricciardo to garner curiosity in different motorsport collection. He could possibly be a star in IndyCar, the place different drivers have moved following their F1 days. Would he have any curiosity in attempting his hand in NASCAR, or endurance racing? He’s a wildly widespread driver and extremely marketable, and his racing days will not be over, even when the door closes in some unspecified time in the future on his time in F1.

As for the Purple Bull group, they could be seeing the fruits of its knack for constructing expertise coming to fruition, as they strategy a call level relating to their 2025 drivers. Sooner or later, there was going to be an odd driver out. Lawson was that driver a 12 months in the past. However now the winds appear to be blowing in his favor, and in opposition to Ricciardo. From the group’s perspective, they know what they’ve in Ricciardo, but when the thought is to arrange a driver to take over Pérez’s seat following the expiration of his new deal, seeing what they really have in Lawson over a full season — if no more given the rumors of a transfer forward of Austin — is perhaps the good transfer.

As well as, Lawson shouldn’t be the one younger driver within the Purple Bull secure being linked with a possible F1 seat within the close to future. Isack Hadjar, who drives in F2, is making a “robust case” of his personal for a spot on the F1 grid, as Christian Horner acknowledged earlier this season. There is perhaps a thought throughout the group that giving Lawson the remainder of this season may solidify a spot for him at VCARB subsequent 12 months, or open the door to Hadjar incomes that seat.

In any case, Marko’s latest feedback mirror VCARB’s earlier standing as that of a “junior” group to Purple Bull. Throughout the Toro Rosso days and into the early AlphaTauri days, the sister group was considered as extra of a proving floor. That could possibly be one other indication that Lawson or Hadjar can be picked for that spot.

That’s the place Verstappen, for instance, bought his begin.

If the group really needs to return to that mannequin, it might find yourself with Ricciardo on the surface wanting in.

Bringing his desires of a fairytale ending to a troublesome conclusion.