Ricciardo’s Struggle at Dutch GP Highlights Tough Battle for F1 Future Amid Uncertain Contract

Daniel Ricciardo comments on rare second chances after lackluster Dutch GP

Daniel Ricciardo shares his thoughts on disappointing outcome as he fights to maintain his position in F1

Daniel Ricciardo ended up not scoring any points at the Dutch Grand Prix in Formula 1, as he battled to keep his career alive.

He secured the 12th position at Zandvoort, outperforming his teammate Yuki Tsunoda by five positions, as RB's divergent strategies resulted in their drivers spending a considerable portion of the race in turbulent air.

This was the kind of below-average performance that Ricciardo hoped to steer clear of, especially with his Formula 1 career hanging in the balance and no agreement in place for the 2025 season.

"In the midst of this field, when a vehicle is performing on a specific track, it's possible to achieve a significant leap," he evaluated at Zandvoort.

"In the race, it seemed like our performance was good enough to earn points, yet there were other cars and drivers who were simply outperforming us. We have to come to terms with that reality at times."

"Today, my overall sense of joy has increased."

Analyzing something right after achieving it, particularly when the outcome isn't favorable, can be challenging. At its core, I believe I was primarily upset and dissatisfied with my own performance more than anything else.

"Looking back, there were certainly a couple of adjustments we could have made to the car to assist, but ultimately, we also had to handle a challenging vehicle at moments."

"I felt let down by my inability to manage the situation more effectively. As mentioned before, being eliminated in Q1 means it's the end of the road. Opportunities for redemption are scarce."

Tsunoda stated: "The timing for our pit stop, including the lap we chose to pit on, was all too delayed."

"Whenever I merged back onto the track, I consistently found myself trailing behind other vehicles, continually caught in their turbulent wake."

Frankly, I believe we failed to properly implement any aspect of our plan. I'm not pointing fingers at our strategic approach, but the timing of our actions was entirely misguided.

Qualifying went decently, and we also had some good luck with speed, but I believe I pushed our car to its limits. Honestly, the race didn't end up anywhere near where we hoped it would.

"I had hoped to accomplish something, yet when the race concluded, we came away empty-handed, which was quite challenging."

Is Ricciardo's F1 Career at Risk?

Helmut Marko's statement last week about Liam Lawson securing a race seat in 2025 with either Red Bull or its affiliate team sparked considerable speculation.

Ricciardo appeared to be the sole driver from both teams lacking a contract, suggesting his time might be limited.

However, Christian Horner made Marko's position clear, stating that Lawson would secure a spot in F1 racing, though not specifically with Red Bull or its sister team.

However, for Ricciardo, this served as a stark illustration of the challenging atmosphere within Red Bull for a driver not meeting expectations.

Only three spots remain open for the upcoming season's lineup – Ricciardo's Red Bull seat, a position at Sauber, and a Mercedes slot reportedly reserved for Kimi Antonelli.

This weekend, during the F1 Italian Grand Prix, the location of his last victory in 2021, Ricciardo aims to deliver a standout performance that he missed out on at Zandvoort.

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