Helmut Marko brushes off rumors of Daniel Ricciardo joining Mercedes saying the Aussie ‘has a long-term contract’ with Red Bull
Daniel Ricciardo has been a part of Red Bull as a reserve driver for the better part of 2023 and then he shifted to AlphaTauri to replace Nyck deVries who was dropped midway through the season due to poor results.
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Helmut Marko and Daniel Ricciardo (Credits: Planet F1)
Once in every three or four years, there comes a time in Formula 1 when the entire grid sees a complete upheaval. And as the current scenario is playing out, the fans stand a chance to see such a huge change in the drivers’ line-up in the upcoming 2025 season of F1. And all this has kicked off only 2 days ago, when Lewis Hamilton announced he would leave Mercedes after spending 12 years with them for a multi-season contract with Ferrari.
Now that Lewis Hamilton will move to Ferrari, he will replace Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard has released a statement regarding his departure from the Scuderia and he also said his team will released more news about his future soon. As of now, Carlos Sainz does not have a seat at any of the F1 teams for the 2025 seasons. But there is an empty seat at Mercedes that Lewis Hamilton left in his wake. The top favorites for that coveted spot include current Red Bull recruit and Visa Cashapp Racing Bulls driver Daniel Ricciardo.
Daniel Ricciardo is an immensely experience racer with several stints with famous teams like Red Bull and McLaren under his belt. The Aussie was employed as a test driver in 2023 for a short while before making a comeback for AlphaTauri in Nyck deVries’ place. However, Helmut Marko believes there is no chance Daniel will travel to Mercedes to fill Hamilton’s place.
[Daniel] Ricciardo still has a long-term contract and is not available.
Helmut Marko commented, via Express Sport.
Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli stands a chance to become Lewis Hamilton’s replacement
Lewis Hamilton is going to move from one top seat in Formula 1 to another, but there are several talented racers who wish to take up the seat he is leaving at Mercedes. While Daniel Ricciardo might not be able to take it since Helmut Marko revealed he has a Red Bull contract in place, there is Alex Albon who has already reportedly made a play for getting Mercedes’ attention.
On the other hand, an up-and-coming racer who is currently employed in Formula 2, Kimi Antonelli, can also make a debut with the Silver Arrows in Lewis’ place. Kimi Antonelli has shown prodigous talent by claiming several karting Championships as well as the German and Spanish F4 titles. He skipped F3 altogether as Mercedes decided he is ready to contest for DAMS in FIA Formula 2.
In the upcoming days, it is rumored that the driver situation in Formula 1 will only get more complicated as several racers will see their existing contracts come to an end. It remains to be seen if there will be any tectonic shifts in the F1 world like it happened when Lewis Hamilton announced he is moving to Ferrari.
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Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)