Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has dismissed suggestions that he has something to prove after former F1 champion Alan Jones remarked that he was “past it.”
Ricciardo spoke to 10 News First as he left Perth for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Table of Contents
Alan Jones’ Views on Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri
Alan Jones, the former world champion, believes that Daniel Ricciardo is “treading water” in his revived Formula 1 career and opines that his best days as a driver are behind him.
Jones also backed Oscar Piastri to push for a podium finish at his home Grand Prix in Melbourne this week.
Two Australian Drivers, Two Different Fortunes
This year, Australia will have two drivers on the grid for the first time since 2013 at the Albert Park race. However, Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri, the McLaren young gun, arrive in Melbourne with contrasting fortunes.
Ricciardo is under pressure to secure a seat at Red Bull next year following a challenging start to the 2024 Formula 1 season in the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia with the rebranded RB team.
The eight-time Grand Prix winner finished 13th in the season-opening race amid tensions with teammate Yuki Tsunoda and then finished 16th in Jeddah after a poor qualifying performance and a strange late-race spin.
On the other hand, Piastri boosted his chances of scoring a podium at his hometown race after he finished fourth in Saudi Arabia, pushing him to fifth in the driver standings.
Piastri’s form has raised hopes of a breakthrough podium for an Australian driver at their home Grand Prix.
Jones’ Criticism of Ricciardo
Jones, Australia’s last F1 world champion, described Ricciardo’s start to the season as “disappointing” and stated that Ricciardo needed to “lift his game” if he wants to secure a Red Bull seat for 2025.
“One is going extremely well and the other is going fairly ordinary” Jones said of Australia’s two drivers. “I think (Ricciardo) would even agree with that. At the end of the day, we can’t be blaming the car all the time, which has been a bit of a tendency in the past.”
Jones added, “He (Ricciardo) is treading water. He really needs to have some very good results and put up a good show, he can’t be dwelling down where he is.”
Ricciardo’s Ambition to Reclaim a Seat at Red Bull
Since returning to the Formula 1 grid midway through last year after a six-month sabbatical from the sport following his axing by McLaren, Ricciardo has made no secret of his ambition to reclaim a seat at Red Bull.
