Red Bull Racing is revving up for what could be one of the most diabolical battles for the priceless racing seat alongside Max Verstappen. With Sergio Perez’s future under ever-growing threat, numerous Formula 1 drivers have shown interest in replacing the struggling Mexican, including former Red Bull driver, Daniel Ricciardo and his new AlphaTauri teammate, Yuki Tsunoda.
While the echoes of Ricciardo’s potential return to the Milton Keynes outfit have been on the rise, former F1 team owner, Eddie Jordan has an unexplored theory featuring McLaren’s newfound talent, Oscar Piastri.
The 2023 Formula 1 season welcomed a handful of rookies onto the grid including American prospect Logan Sargeant and Formula E world champion Nyck de Vries. However, it was the 2021 F2 champion Piastri that acquired a majority of the spotlight following the shenanigans with Alpine amid the controversial move to McLaren.
I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.
— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) August 2, 2022
Subsequently, even before making his on-track debut, Piastri gained a handful of haters that envisioned a very contrasting reality of poor performances from the newly-recruited McLaren driver. But, almost halfway into 2023, Piastri has delivered one of the greatest rookie performances in recent years, securing impressive results at Silverstone and Hungaroring, with hints of more to come.
Eddie Jordan foresees disappointing F1 future for Daniel Ricciardo amid surging Oscar Piastri
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Jordan opened up that Piastri could well obstruct Ricciardo from making a return to Red Bull. The Irish businessman further added that Red Bull doesn’t usually prefer looking back at its former drivers as a potential replacement option. Hence, after the dramatic exit from McLaren, Ricciardo might once again find himself at crossroads with his fellow Australian counterpart.
“Do not be surprised if there’s a seat available at Red Bull, of course where Mark used to be, don’t be surprised if he [Piastri] is named in front of the public eye in the future,” he said. “I don’t see it [Ricciardo]. They had that chance before and Red Bull don’t usually go back in time, they have a very forward vision.”
🚨 | Christian Horner confirms that Daniel Ricciardo is targeting the 2025 Red Bull seat
“Daniel firmly wants to be pitching for that 2025 Red Bull seat, that’s his goal and objective. By going to AlphaTauri he sees that as his best route of steadying his case for 2025.” pic.twitter.com/gG4DAHi04y
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 17, 2023
There were reports of Red Bull potentially eyeing Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc as possible replacements for Perez in 2025. However, with both drivers assuring their loyalty to their respective teams, the Christian Horner-led outfit is seemingly hoping for a strong showing from Ricciardo.
So, with just over a season and a half in hand, can Ricciardo ensure the much-awaited promotion to Red Bull? Or, will Piastri orchestrate a season of power-packed showings and play spoilsport in the 34-year-old’s F1 future?