Daniel Ricciardo has warned his Red Bull team they must be competitive against Mercedes and Ferrari in 2018, or he will look elsewhere with his contract is due to expire at the end of next season.
It is not the first time that threat has been made, with teammate Max Verstappen also acknowledging next year will be significant for his future plans as links to the top two teams continue to be made.
But while the Dutchman’s frustrations have been clear, with a finishing rate of just over 50% in 2017, Ricciardo’s own frustrations at being unable to compete for the championship have largely been unnoticed particularly as he has scored six podiums, including a win in Baku.
His performance at the last race at Monza also reminded many of just how good the 28-year-old is as he recovered from 16th to fourth, split the two Ferraris and was faultless, which couldn’t be said for Verstappen.
Previously he has admitted his belief that he is no worse than the two title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel and now he wants his chance to prove it.
“I went through that inpatient phase [of wanting results] for sure and I am still bordering that because I don’t want to leave F1 without a championship,” he told Autosport as he promoted his new ‘Ricciardo Kart’ brand.
“At least right now, I still believe I can do that, absolutely and I am looking for it – sooner rather than later. I thought we would be in with a really good shot this year, but it hasn’t turned out like that.
“It really needs to happen with Red Bull next year, at least from my point of view,” he added. “I’ve been here for quite a few years now and I think next year we need to make a bigger step next year than we did this year, to really convince me that I can win with them.”
A threat from Ricciardo to leave at the end of 2018 arguably carries more weight than Verstappen, as the five-time Grand Prix winner is out of contract with Red Bull at the end of next season while his teammate is tied down for 2019.
The charismatic ‘Honey Badger’ admits, however, that decision would only be made as a last resort as he looks to complete the full journey with the company that got him to where he is today.
“Do I want to win with them [Red Bull]? Absolutely,” he said. “Seb [Vettel] got to complete it – he is the only guy so my heart would love to but we will see.
“I want an opportunity to be able to win week in and week out, while I believe I am still at the top.”
One aspiration Ricciardo does have is to enjoy a long-lasting career at the top fighting with the drivers of tomorrow and he draws that inspiration from a legend on two wheels.
“I’ve never really had it before, I’ve never had a much younger kid [as a teammate],” he said of his current partnership with Verstappen. “I was always the younger one, or the same in terms of age and hype, so it was probably a little bit like Vettel‘s position with me when I came into Red Bull.
“I think Max had more hype behind him than I did!
“It is what Valentino Rossi has been dealing with for the last 10 years, I guess,” he continued. “You can take it two ways. You can go, ‘Wow, he is getting all the attention, this and that’ and it can play with your mind and wear you down.
“But this year, in particular, he has got better but I’ve also acknowledged that as opposed to making excuses all the time. [I have been] trying to figure out ways I can get better, try to keep ahead of the curve – I think like Rossi has done in the last few years.
“These kids are coming and getting better and better and he has found a way to still evolve, that is where I am critical of myself but I feel I have managed to keep up with that.”
