Daniel Ricciardo says Pink Bull have given him no ultimatum as strain mounts on the Australian to avoid wasting his RB seat in Components One.
Ricciardo is out of contract on the finish of the season and his hope of changing Sergio Perez at Pink Bull subsequent 12 months has already gone, with the Mexican handed a contract extension this month.
His place at Pink Bull-owned RB, the sister group to the champions, now additionally appears to be like beneath risk with Pink Bull guide Helmut Marko this week indicating it was time to usher in a younger driver.
New Zealander Liam Lawson is the reserve and ready for one more alternative after impressing as a stand-in.
Ricciardo instructed reporters on the Austrian Grand Prix on Thursday that he solely discovered about Marko’s feedback when he arrived at Spielberg’s Pink Bull Ring.
“I do not really feel a method or one other about it. I nonetheless know the overriding factor on this sport is efficiency,” stated the 34-year-old.
“That is what is going to give me my finest probability of staying right here. I do know that. It isn’t going to be my smile or anything, it is the on-track stuff.
“There hasn’t been any strain, ultimatum, nothing like that,” he added.
“But additionally I have been within the sport a very long time. I do know that if I am getting my ass kicked each weekend, in some unspecified time in the future somebody will likely be like, ‘hey mate, step it up, in any other case…’. However I have never had that.”
RB have already confirmed Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda as one in every of their drivers for 2025 and chief govt Peter Bayer stated in Could that the group had been proud of each and the main focus was on races till the summer season break.
There are three races remaining, together with Austria, earlier than the August interval.
Ricciardo is an eight-times winner, seven of these races coming with Pink Bull from 2014-18, however he has been outscored by Tsunoda over the ten races up to now this season.
Final 12 months was a comeback season for Ricciardo after he left McLaren by mutual settlement on the finish of 2022 following a troublesome two seasons, with a 2021 win at Monza standing out amongst in any other case below-par performances.
