Marko responds to rumours over Ricciardo's F1 exit

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has asserted a decision over the RB driver line-up will be made after the Singapore Grand Prix.

Yuki Tsunoda has already been signed up at the Red Bull junior team for next year, however the identity of his team-mate has not yet been confirmed.

As F1 descended upon Singapore for the latest round of the world championship, reports circulated that Ricciardo would be ousted from the team in favour of Liam Lawson following the race weekend.

Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Marko stated an announcement over its plans will follow the Singapore weekend: "We will announce the decision after the Singapore Grand Prix. 

“There is never a guarantee in Formula 1."

Ricciardo returned to F1 midway through last season but found himself on the sidelines following an injury he picked up at the Dutch Grand Prix.

He was consequently replaced by Lawson who impressed during his five-race stint with the team.

RB CEO Peter Bayer confirmed that talks about its driver line-up are ongoing.

"We have had different deadlines and discussions throughout the year,” he said. “And we initially decided to think about the final decision on driver pairs for 2025 during the summer break. In the end, we tried to buy some more time for both teams. 

“This is a big, strategic decision, who drives where and Singapore is definitely a new moment. There will be talks after Singapore about 2025 as well as other options.

“There are many options. because as RB we also have the task of developing young drivers. Basically it's now about weighing the options. 

“Under the guidance of Marko and Christian Horner, of course, we also have to determine which driver has the greatest potential to one day drive at Red Bull. 

“When would this driver ideally join the team, this year or next year? It will be decided in the coming days.”