May 26 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has dealt a major blow to Daniel Ricciardo’s hopes of a return to the very top in Formula 1.
Although Australian Ricciardo, 33, will do some testing in Red Bull’s 2023 car this year, Marko says he is not a candidate to actually race.
“Where is Ricciardo compared to (Max) Verstappen and (Sergio) Perez in the simulator? Not at their level,” he told formel1.de.
The top Red Bull official, 80, refused to quantify the gap in terms of laptime.
But he also seemed to dismiss any suggestion that Ricciardo was even a candidate to replace the struggling rookie Nyck de Vries at Alpha Tauri.
“Alpha Tauri is Alpha Tauri and Red Bull Racing is Red Bull Racing,” Marko insisted. “Whether you drive in the midfield or whether you drive at the front, that’s a completely different pressure, a completely different atmosphere.
“We know Daniel’s qualities. Then came the Renault era. Then McLaren came along and there was a slump. It wasn’t the Ricciardo we knew,” the Austrian said.
So he said that “for the reasons mentioned” and “also because of the statements made by himself”, Ricciardo is not currently in the frame for a comeback.
Marko acknowledged that Ricciardo has said he is interested in returning next year with a top team.
“That was his statement,” he said. “And I think this break from active sport is good for him so that he can find himself and know what he really wants to do.”
However, Marko does seem happy with Ricciardo in his current reserve driver role.
“He does a very good job with a lot of marketing and PR activities,” he said.
“There are show car runs and appearances, especially in America and who is better suited than Ricciardo with his smile and his shoey,” Marko added.
Get ready to join Grand Prix Tours as we head to Austria for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix. The now famous Red Bull Ring rarely disappoints and is a must see for all race fans.
SHOW PACKAGES
Grand Prix Tours has once again orchestrated the perfect race weekend for the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix which has a new earlier date of July 30th.
SHOW PACKAGES
With a racing lineage that dates back more than 95 years, unpredictable weather patterns and the ravenous Ferrari fans make this race and post-race celebration a spectacle like no other in professional motorsports.
SHOW PACKAGES
Guests of Grand Prix Tours are escorted through the Italian countryside to an area rich in history and car culture. Guests will gain insight into the history and inner workings of car companies such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Dallara, Pagani, and Alfa Romeo.
SHOW PACKAGES
Located just outside the Austin city limits is the Circuit of the Americas one of the finest racing circuits in the world and for this year is one of the tracks selected to run one of the six Sprint races on the F1 schedule. Join Grand Prix Tours as we head to Austin, Texas for the 2023 United States Grand Prix.
SHOW PACKAGES