What Daniel Ricciardo said about his Red Bull future after Zandvoort Q1 exit

A focused Daniel Ricciardo in the VCARB garage.

VCARB’s Daniel Ricciardo is well aware of “what is one the line” in regards to his Red Bull future, as he rued a “not good enough” Dutch GP Q1 exit. 

Ricciardo currently holds the only Red Bull-run seat not yet spoken for come F1 2025, as the eight-time race winner bids to impress knowing that doing so could see him return to the senior team, while the likes of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar from the Red Bull junior pool are waiting if he does not.

Daniel Ricciardo ‘internal anger and rage’ as Red Bull future addressed

Additional reporting by Sam Cooper

Lawson is now nailed on for “a drive” in F1 2025, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner not yet shutting the door on the idea of loaning him out, but at this stage, only Sauber – to become Audi from 2026 – remain as an option outside of the Red Bull fold.

So the pressure is on for Ricciardo to secure his place, and a Q1 elimination at Zandvoort was not what he had in mind upon returning from the summer break.

“I mean, look, Q1 sucks,” Ricciardo told media including PlanetF1.com.

“Like I definitely have some internal anger and rage with being out in Q1. But I think it’s probably compounded by the nature of the circuit as well, you know, it is tricky to overtake.

“Qualifying is so important, but yeah, especially around here, it can set up the weekend. And so not only does it hurt today, but it’s likely that tomorrow doesn’t… I don’t like being pessimistic, but it probably doesn’t get much better.”

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Ricciardo was asked whether the renewed talk regarding his future – in light of that major Lawson update – served as a distraction? He knocked back that suggestion, stressing that “I know what I need to do”, and dropping out in Q1 is not it.

“No, it’s not a distraction,” he said.

“Honestly, I know what is on the line. I know what I need to do. And it’s, yeah, frustrating when you feel like you can’t really… Like you want to drive qualy in anger, but I felt that at times, I was just having to be a little bit too nice.

“And then when you’re slow as well, when you’re nice and slow, then it’s frustrating. So yeah, it just wasn’t a nice session, let’s say that.

“But every qualy is going to be important. Every race is going to be important. So look, whether it’s me, whether it’s the car, whatever it is, bottom line is, Q1 is not good enough.

“So yeah, I have to accept that and do better.”

Ricciardo will start the Dutch GP from P14, following the disqualification of Williams’ Alex Albon from the qualifying results, due to a technical infringement regarding the floor, while Haas’ Kevin Magnussen will start from the pit lane after taking a new Energy Store and Control Electronics.

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