Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s “dream” is reportedly to replace Sergio Perez with Daniel Ricciardo.
Ricciardo has returned to the Red Bull family since 2023, replacing Nyck de Vries in the “Junior Team Visa Cash App RB” team in the middle of last season.
Since then, he has been overtaken by teammate Yuki Tsunoda, although he has shown better form at the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, Perez has overtaken Max Verstappen but Now’s performances, including multiple Q1 starts and zero points, threaten Red Bull’s hold on the constructor’s title as the rivals close in.
Sergio Perez struggled on track in 2024
Could Visa Cash App RB driver Daniel Ricciardo return to Red Bull?
Will Daniel Ricciardo replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull?
Perez only signed a new contract with Red Bull in June, but it has emerged that it is heavily laced with various performance clauses that could enter the equation sooner than expected. With McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all vying for race wins, the Milton Keynes team will not be able to put up with the Mexican’s unfortunate form indefinitely. He is currently sixth in the standings, only eight points ahead of eighth-placed Lewis Hamilton, who has collected only 15 points from the last six events.
Ricciardo and Red Bull youngster Liam Lawson have been mentioned as possible replacements for Perez, although both have their weaknesses as Lawson is inexperienced and Ricciardo is not the same driver who left the pack in 2018. But according to AMuS reporter Michael Schmidt on the Formel Schmidt podcast, Horner’s “dream” would be to outshine Perez and promote Daniel Ricciardo back to the team. READ MORE: F1 champion claims Red Bull’s future is a BIG problem
Christian Horner still rates Daniel Ricciardo highly
“Christian Horner naturally dreams of bringing in his protégé for Ricciardo,” Schmidt said. The Australian, now 35, made his Red Bull debut under Horner a decade ago but has struggled to show consistency since leaving Renault for McLaren at the end of 2020.
“But Ricciardo is driving with the same problems.” He added: “He has a pretty good race every now and then, like in Austria, Montreal and Miami. But three races out of 12 where he was good is not enough.” Ricciardo is nine points behind Tsunoda in the standings. The Japanese driver recently extended his RB contract until 2025 and does not appear to be a high-profile candidate to replace Perez.
A decision on reigning champion Max Verstappen’s partners could be made during the summer break, leaving the protagonists with just two races left to sink or swim.
