Daniel Ricciardo on brink of committing to new Red Bull F1 deal
Daniel Ricciardo is closing on a deal to remain with the Red Bull Formula 1 team beyond the end of this season
The Australian is out of contract at the end of 2018 and had been waiting to see if there were options at Mercedes or Ferrari before committing to Red Bull, which will use Honda engines next year.
Mercedes is expected to retain Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, with Esteban Ocon the most likely Bottas replacement if the Finn does not get a new deal, while Ferrari will pair Sebastian Vettel with either current team-mate Kimi Raikkonen or rising star Charles Leclerc.
Red Bull has long indicated its desire to keep Ricciardo, who has won seven grands prix with the team, alongside Max Verstappen.
Ricciardo is keen to close the pay gap between himself and the young Dutchman, who signed a lucrative new deal last year.
Speaking in Austria on Wednesday, ahead of Red Bull's home grand prix this weekend, Ricciardo and Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko both declared that a new deal is "getting closer".
Ricciardo said: "It's not over yet but it will come. Soon. The time is not far away."
Talks were held between the two before they appeared at a promotional event on Wednesday afternoon.
Marko also used the same description Mercedes has given of Hamilton's long-running contract sage, saying it was "just details" that needed to be clarified.
Speaking to Autosport before that event, Marko said "I don't think Daniel is in a good position" in the driver market.
With Ferrari and Mercedes not offering a seat only McLaren and Renault looked like providing an alternative option for Ricciardo, but they are too far behind Red Bull in terms of competitiveness.
That means Renault will likely continue with Nico Hulkenberg and on-loan Red Bull driver Carlos Sainz Jr, who could switch to a permanent deal with the French manufacturer.
"Mercedes and Ferrari have a number one driver who is clearly declared," said Marko.
"I know Ricciardo did not receive an offer from Ferrari.
"Renault will, as far as I know, stay with the current drivers. Above all, I don't think Renault is playing in the budget regions that Ricciardo has in mind.
"Daniel is in a situation where he has no sporting alternative to us. He probably imagined it differently.
"We want it [to continue with Ricciardo], but not at any price."
Previous article
The early-90s tech that can help modern F1 - Motorsport Show video
Next article
Renault rules out bid to lure Red Bull F1 design chief Adrian Newey
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Daniel Ricciardo |
| Teams | Red Bull Racing |
| Author | Scott Mitchell |
How long can F1 2021's brewing title battle stay clean?
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been evenly matched so far in the 2021 Formula 1 title race. Neither has been afraid to get aggressive against each other on track, teeing up an enthralling contest as the year unwinds. But is their rivalry destined to end in broken shards of carbon fibre?
What the Spain result tells F1 about the next phase of the Mercedes/Red Bull title fight
OPINION: Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have recovered from their pre-season woes to take three wins from the opening four races of 2021. But each time Red Bull and Max Verstappen have pushed them hard. So, what clues did the latest round of that battle – the Spanish Grand Prix – tease about the next stage of the season?
How Brabham’s one-hit wonder was boxed into a corner
The Brabham BT46B raced once, won once, then vanished – or did it? STUART CODLING reveals the story of the car which was never actually banned…
The changes Barcelona needs to provide a modern-day F1 spectacle
Formula 1’s visits to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over recent years have been met with familiar criticisms despite tweaks here and there to the track to improve racing. With the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix largely going the same way, proper solutions need to be followed to achieve F1’s wider targets
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Often described as Formula 1's laboratory, the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona gave the clearest demonstration yet of the pecking order in 2021. And it's the key discrepancies from that order which illuminate who is excelling, and who needs to hit the reset button
How Red Bull’s deja vu set Hamilton on the winning path in Spain
An aggressive first corner move from Max Verstappen appeared to have set the Red Bull driver on course for victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. But canny strategy from Mercedes - combined with the absence of Red Bull's number two from the lead group - allowed Lewis Hamilton to pull off a demoralising reversal
The toe-in-water origins of Lotus’s groundbreaking F1 journey
In the first part of our history of Lotus, DAMIEN SMITH recalls how Formula 1 wasn’t an immediate priority for team founder Colin Chapman – but once he got a taste for it he just couldn’t stop…
How Hamilton’s qualifying record compares to Senna and Schumacher
Lewis Hamilton has just become the first driver to record 100 world championship Formula 1 pole positions. Time to revisit a debate we discussed when he reached 150 front row starts in 2020.
