Daniel Ricciardo bombshell news emerges after Lewis Hamilton’s stunning switch to Ferrari
- Red Bull chief says Ricciardo will not replace Hamilton
- Marko says Aussie has a long-term contract with Red Bull
- Shuts down speculation about Aussie’s possible move
Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has said Daniel Ricciardo will not replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2025 season, dealing a blow to speculation that the Australian could join the Silver Arrows.
Following the shock revelation that seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, there was talk of Ricciardo as a potential replacement.
Hamilton said in a statement: “I have had eleven great years with this team and I am so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old.
“It’s a place where I grew up, so the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. But for me the time has come to take this step and I am very much looking forward to taking on a new challenge.’
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari on a multi-year contract aimed at an eighth title and extending his racing career into his 40s has led to a reshuffle of the driver line-up.
Helmut Marko says Daniel Ricciardo will not replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025
Marko said that Ricciardo has a long-term contract with Red Bull and will not be available
The 39-year-old expressed his commitment to ending his tenure at Mercedes on a high note, vowing to deliver his best performance in 2024 alongside new teammate Charles Leclerc, who replaces Carlos Sainz.
However, Marko has poured cold water on the idea that Ricciardo could join Mercedes, stating that the Australian has a long-term deal with Red Bull.
“Ricciardo still has a long-term contract and is not available (for Mercedes),” he told the publication F1 insider.
Other potential candidates for the seat at Mercedes are former Red Bull driver Alex Albon, who has rebuilt his reputation at Williams, and the young prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a 17-year-old who makes his Formula 2 debut this year and has a unique and unexpected experience. choice.
Ricciardo, who currently drives for Visa Cash App RB (formerly AlphaTauri), says he is ‘in love again’ with the sport after spending some time away from Formula 1 in 2022.
“To be back here (Alpha Tauri) it just feels really good for me,” he said in an interview with The Mirror last season.
‘The chemistry in the team is very good and I like that. The big picture would be to one day return to that team (Red Bull) and that car, but I also said that if there is no opening, I want to stay here.’
Despite initial talk that Ricciardo could become Max Verstappen’s number 2 driver in 2024, Red Bull’s Christian Horner has given his unwavering support for Sergio Perez.
Hamilton’s announcement will lead to a host of driver announcements ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 series
“I am absolutely confident that Checo (Perez) will be our driver next year,” Horner told motorsport.com in November.
“If he’s injured or something like that, there are circumstances beyond our control. But the clear plan and therefore the clear intention is that he continues. ‘
“We plan to continue. We announced the AlphaTauri drivers, we have our Red Bull Racing drivers. This is how we want to race in 2024,” Horner continues.
“Checo (Perez) has an agreement with us for next year and our intention is for him to be in the car in 2024.
“We will give him all the support we can to ensure he finishes second (in the drivers’ standings), but there is no condition that if he doesn’t finish second, you are out.”