With his current contract set to expire at the end of the 2024 season with the team now known as VCARB, speculation has been rife about Daniel Ricciardo‘s next move, especially with Lewis Hamilton‘s seat at Mercedes opening up for 2025.
The unexpected shift of seven-time world champion Hamilton to Ferrari has thrown the driver market into disarray, prompting Mercedes to explore several candidates to fill the vacancy alongside George Russell in the coming seasons.
Additionally, rumours have surfaced about a possible return for Ricciardo to his former team, Red Bull, especially given that their current driver, Sergio Perez, is approaching the end of his contract by 2024.
Ricciardo’s resurgence on the Formula 1 grid came last season, following Nyck de Vries‘ underwhelming performance. This offered Ricciardo a chance to redeem himself after his premature departure from McLaren in 2022.
Ricciardo addresses Mercedes’s speculation
Known affectionately as the “Honey Badger,” Ricciardo is poised to play a pivotal role in propelling the newly rebranded VCARB team towards greater competitiveness, distancing themselves from the overarching influence of their affiliate, Red Bull.
In light of Hamilton’s dramatic switch to the team from Maranello, Ricciardo has shared his thoughts on the challenging decisions Mercedes faces ahead as they scout for Hamilton’s successor.
“Mercedes has plenty of time to figure that out,” he told RACER. “They can consider all kinds of things, so in that respect they are doing well.
“I don’t want to look that far ahead,” he admitted when being asked about rumours linking him with the seat.
“In this part of my career, I think looking far ahead kind of feels like one year closer to the end. So it’s more reason for me to be present now and definitely take it race by race.
“So silly season, part of me is also happy to not be in all these crazy things, especially this early in the season. So if the silly season happens without me, I’m also OK with that right now!”
Seen in:
