LONDON. – Daniel Ricciardo’s return to the Formula One starting grid with tailenders AlphaTauri, from Hungary next week, has also raised more questions about Sergio Perez’s future at sister team Red Bull.
Tuesday’s announcement that the 34-year-old Australian had replaced the axed Nyck de Vries should have rung alarm bells for the Mexican, whose contract alongside dominant double world champion Max Verstappen runs to the end of 2024.
Perez is second overall but 99 points behind Verstappen after 10 of 22 races, and his form in the last six has been patchy.
If fan favorite Ricciardo can show he has truly recovered his mojo and is no longer the driver who was so out of sorts at McLaren in 2021-22, then champion Red Bull has an even more obvious replacement.
Red Bull has a history of ruthlessly promoting and demoting drivers between their two teams, as well as discarding them entirely.
AlphaTauri, which will have new bosses and a different name next year, can benefit from the experience of an eight-time race winner, although how long Ricciardo is prepared to be an also-ran remains to be seen.
Either way, he needs to impress against Japanese teammate and Honda protege Yuki Tsunoda in a car struggling to score. That is the Australian’s gamble.
The departure of De Vries after just 10 grand prix, without even getting the chance to race in front of his home crowd at Zandvoort next month, had been widely flagged and was surprising only in the timing.
Some still jumped to his defense, notably drivers who experienced similar rejection.
