Ricciardo Aims to Keep the Smile in Singapore Amidst Red Bull’s Strong Start and Speculation Over His Future

Amidst circulating speculations, Daniel Ricciardo aims to remain upbeat following RB's impressive initial performance. He wishes for RB to carry their notable early pace into the qualifying rounds in Singapore.

Daniel Ricciardo aims to maintain his positivity following RB's strong opening at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix weekend.

Both drivers from the RB team secured positions within the top-10 during each of Friday's practice rounds, kicking off the weekend in Singapore on a highly positive and noteworthy note.

Yuki Tsunoda concluded the second free practice session among the top four, with Ricciardo closely behind in sixth place, merely 0.004 seconds slower than McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who was positioned between the pair of Red Bull cars.

"Both of us had a great day together, as a team," Ricciardo shared with F1TV.

"In the afternoon, we secured the fourth and sixth positions. Remarkably, four of us finished within an incredibly tight margin of just two hundredths of a second, indicating a very close competition."

"We are quite pleased with the vehicle, just needs a bit of tweaking."

"It felt good to find ourselves leading the pack. It seems we have a strong offering this time."

"The previous occasions when our car operated with significant downforce were at Zandvoort and Budapest, where our performance was strong. It's possible that [this track], with its preference for larger wings and its specific track design, is better aligned with our vehicle's capabilities."

"We had anticipated performing well in Baku, yet our expectations were not met due to the low downforce."

"The increased downforce configuration seems to be more favorable for us. We're optimistic that this condition will persist into tomorrow, allowing us to maintain our joy and exclaim, 'what a gem!'"

Ricciardo and Red Bull's improvement in their performance coincides with a weekend filled with rampant speculation regarding the future of the 35-year-old Australian driver.

Ricciardo is contending with Red Bull's backup driver Liam Lawson for the last RB spot next to Tsunoda for the 2025 season, yet there are hints he could be replaced before the upcoming race.

On Thursday, he confessed that he is uncertain about keeping his position but anticipates knowing the outcome after the race in Singapore this weekend.

Sky Sports F1's color commentator Martin Brundle is convinced that Singapore will mark Ricciardo's last race in his current seat.

"From what I gather, Daniel isn't expected to compete in the upcoming grand prix in Austin, but he'll continue to be part of the Red Bull team," Brundle mentioned.

"Various factors have piqued interest in Liam Lawson's performance. A better season from Daniel could have significantly impacted the situation, not only within RB's secondary team but also within the main Red Bull team."

"Things haven't progressed as he hoped. I don't anticipate seeing him behind the wheel in Austin."

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