Ex-driver Giedo van der Garde has issued a stark warning about Daniel Ricciardo’s immediate future in Formula 1. Speaking on the DRS De Race Show podcast, Van der Garde hinted at a possible shake-up that could see Ricciardo ousted from his position, with Yuki Tsunoda, Ricciardo’s younger and relatively inexperienced team member at RB, showing promising signs of moving up.
Van der Garde’s comments came shortly after Ricciardo found himself entangled in a collision on the first lap with Williams’ Alex Albon at the Suzuka circuit, an incident that only added to his woes. Despite being potentially viewed as a standard racing mishap, Van der Garde pointed out the underlying issue, stating, “When you are under pressure and driving very tensely, you let people pass you and you make mistakes. And then you get hit and you go into the wall.”
Adding to Ricciardo’s list of challenges, Dr. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s influential consultant, shared with Speed Week that Ricciardo’s sluggish start at Suzuka was due to “the hard tyres.” Marko further elaborated, “But Ricciardo was overly cautious in the first corner anyway and was overtaken left and right. Then came the racing accident, which can easily happen.”
On a more positive note, Marko praised Tsunoda’s performance, highlighting his remarkable start and impressive overtaking maneuvers, which had the fans on the edge of their seats. “He got off to a sensational start and his overtaking moves were the show of the day. The fans were absolutely thrilled. His weekend was on par with a Max or an Alonso. Error-free, a super performance under the pressure of his home race,” Marko reflected.
With an eye on the future, Van der Garde predicted a swift change if current trends persist, suggesting Liam Lawson might soon replace Ricciardo. “If this continues, it will take a few more races like that and then Liam Lawson will be in that (Ricciardo) car. Things will move quickly,” he forecasted.
Van der Garde didn’t mince words about Ricciardo’s current form compared to his teammates, including Tsunoda. “He’s a nice guy and a really good driver, but we see now that he’s a little short against Yuki. He was also a little short against Max (Verstappen), and a little short against Lando Norris. You see he starts to doubt himself and wonder whether he’s still got it. The confidence drops and everyone starts talking about him. If you can’t break that cycle, you’re done,” he said, laying bare the harsh realities faced by the Australian driver.
GMM
