Ricciardo responds to 'pressure' over early F1 axe

Daniel Ricciardo has expressed confidence he will finish the current F1 season with the RB team.

Ricciardo's future within Red Bull's F1 set-up is unclear after Helmut Marko asserted Liam Lawson would be handed a drive next year.

While the possibility exists for that to be at the senior Red Bull team, a drive at RB would likely mean the end of Ricciardo's tenure with Yuki Tsunoda already signed up for next year.

When asked by media including RacingNews365 if he is confident he will remain at RB for at least the remainder of the campaign, Ricciardo said: “Yes. I say yes, I’ve been in this long enough - who knows?

“But, I will keep making it about me. If I’m performing they won’t find a reason to do anything. If I perform, I’m good.

“If I focus on myself it shouldn’t affect me. It doesn’t matter what someone is saying. It matters what my hands and feet are doing in the cockpit.”

Ricciardo not feeling 'pressure'

Ricciardo has, on average, been out-performed by Tsunoda across the season so far, with the Australian's point-scoring tally accounting for roughly one-third of RB's total accumulation.

Red Bull is known to be uncompromising when it comes to handling its driver line-ups but Ricciardo asserted he is not feeling any added pressure.

“I haven’t had any unreasonable pressure,” Ricciardo said.

“I haven’t had a hand on the shoulder pulling me into a room to say, ‘Do this, or else…’

“But I know what’s required. Maybe the tough talk doesn’t need to happen. I’ve known Helmut a long time. We all know what is required.

“Has he put extra pressure on me or been unreasonable? No.

“I don’t feel anything additional from it. But I know what’s required.”