Daniel Ricciardo is optimistic about maintaining his hopes of staying in Formula 1 beyond 2024 as the summer break approaches.
The 34-year-old Australian acknowledges that, given he hasn't outperformed Yuki Tsunoda this year as expected, his only viable option for 2025 is a renewed Red Bull seat.
Red Bull F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko has recently made it clear that Liam Lawson is slated for a cockpit next season, as outlined in the young New Zealander's contract.
This development spells trouble for Ricciardo, but the seasoned Australian driver believes he is now entering another period of strong performance.
"I feel like this (Austria) was the third weekend in a row that I've made the most of everything," he said. "Still looking for perfection, but yeah, that's three in a row. We just have to keep going now."
Regarding Marko's foreboding comments, Ricciardo remains hopeful he can change his boss's opinion.
"I've known Helmut for a very long time and ultimately he doesn't care about personality," he said. "He is interested in the stopwatch and the result. So if you can give that to him, even if he didn't think much of you until then, he can suddenly change."
RB CEO Peter Bayer mentioned that he and his fellow decision-makers won't discuss Ricciardo and Lawson's futures until the "summer break."
A potential saving grace for Ricciardo could be Sergio Perez's ongoing lackluster performance, even after recently signing a new, reportedly highly conditional, contract.
If a spot at Red Bull Racing becomes available, Tsunoda might be promoted to the top team, allowing Ricciardo to stay at the Faenza-based RB outfit alongside rookie Lawson.
"We now need more performance from Sergio," Marko told Speed Week this week, following another disappointing race for the Mexican at the Red Bull Ring.
"It is not possible for him to finish behind a Haas."
Former F1 driver Alex Wurz agrees that Perez's form is a concern for Red Bull's constructors' championship efforts.
"From a team perspective, you need him up there to take the points that were given away by Max and Lando (Norris) in Austria," Wurz told Kronen Zeitung newspaper.
"When it gets as close as it is now, it's suddenly no longer the case that you can rely only on Max."
