F1 star Daniel Ricciardo tries out new race seat as 2025 future remains in question

Daniel Ricciardo, VCARB, Visa, RB, Japan, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Ricciardo tries out new race seat as F1 future remains in question

RB driver Daniel Ricciardo is preparing for the Spanish Grand Prix

Kevin McKenna

Thursday 20 June 2024 21:58 Updated: 23:06

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Daniel Ricciardo has swapped the Formula 1 track for the unpredictable currents of the sea in a fresh challenge as questions over the Australian's future remain unanswered.

The 34-year-old is still considered one of the sport's most popular names, despite failing to reach the heights expected of him when he first broke through at Red Bull in 2014.

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After partnering Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen over a five-year spell at the Milton Keynes-based outfit, Ricciardo made the shock switch to Renault before experiencing a difficult stint with McLaren.

After taking time away from the sport, the eight-time race winner was offered a return route through former boss Christian Horner, who took him on as Red Bull's reserve driver, before being granted a surprise opportunity to replace Nyck de Vries at Alpha Tauri - now Visa Cash App RB.

Despite showing glimpses of his undoubted talent, the move hasn't worked out as well as Ricciardo had hoped, with the Perth-born star consistently outperformed by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

With just nine seats remaining for 2025, he now faces a fight to show team bosses he can still be trusted to deliver results.

Daniel Ricciardo is fighting for his F1 future after a series of poor performances

Ricciardo (right) formerly drove alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull

Australian thrives in new surroundings

Ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, Ricciardo has been busy taking on a different challenge alongside MotoGP star Marc Marquez, as the pair went head-to-head in a high-speed sailing race in Barcelona with America's Cup team Alinghi Red Bull.

Reaching speeds of almost 90 km/h, the Australian got the better of his Spanish counterpart to take victory in the friendly contest, admitting afterwards he felt very comfortable in his new surroundings.

Speaking to the RB website, he said: “The way these boats are built and the structure feels a lot like the cockpit of a Formula 1 car.

“They’re super sensitive with the wind, so aerodynamics has some crossover as well - it’s a lot like what we do, with small movements and everything needs a lot of finesse.”

Red Bull Ferrari Daniel Ricciardo Adrian Newey