F1 champion tips Daniel Ricciardo to replace Sergio Perez for 2024

F1 News & Gossip

F1 champion tips Ricciardo to replace Perez for 2024

Jenson Button believes that Daniel Ricciardo is in a position to drive for Red Bull again after time away

Shay Rogers

Saturday 21 October 2023 09:57

Jenson Button has tipped Daniel Ricciardo to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for 2024, if the Mexican fails to find further performance in the final five races this season.

Languishing behind team-mate Max Verstappen in the championship, and having struggled behind the wheel of the RB19, Perez is starting to feel the pressure of driving for his career.

Rumours around the paddock appear to suggest that Perez’s performances in the final few races of the season could be the defining factor in Red Bull’s decision whether to retain him.

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Daniel Ricciardo matched up well against Yuki Tsunoda before his Dutch Grand Prix accident, which left him with a broken wrist.

Button: There is a possibility

“I think there is a possibility yes,” he told Sky Sports F1. “I think in terms of confidence, he has so much confidence in his ability now. He comes back, he’s proven he’s quick against his teammate and I think that’s a big step for him getting into the Red Bull seat.

“If Checo isn’t close enough to Max when they’re in a car that doesn’t have the advantage they do right now, they need someone that can pull in those big points, and that is Daniel Ricciardo.

Daniel Ricciardo runs into the back of former team-mate Max Verstappen at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

“He’s a real racer and he wants to be fighting at the front. He didn’t feel the atmosphere was right for him alongside Max. Now he does suddenly.”

Although he is only two races into his F1 comeback, Ricciardo fared well against Yuki Tsunoda and appears to have rebuilt part of his confidence.

Daniel Ricciardo has managed to find his feet quickly at AlphaTauri up against Yuki Tsunoda, despite time away from the sport

Much like Perez, the final races of the season will be a test for Ricciardo, as he attempts to make himself the clear front-runner for the Red Bull seat in 2024.

The team would have their hands tied behind their back if Ricciardo performs well and Perez continues to drop off, with a competent and quick second driver likely to be crucial in the constructor's championship long-term.