Helmut Marko, who serves as the advisor for Red Bull, let out a sneak peek recently that there are plans to give Daniel Ricciardo additional responsibilities even after he was signed off from the racing seat. In a move that was announced earlier, Ricciardo will be replaced for the rest of the season by Liam Lawson who had been serving as the reserve driver, leaving Lawson six important races to prove himself and possibly fit into the shoes of Yuki Tsunoda or even fight Sergio Perez for his place.
Now, even though Ricciardo’s chances of getting into a driving must be over, Marko was quick to add that it wasn’t the end of his association with the team. “He is one of the most loved Formula 1 drivers due to his popularity in the United States,” he pointed out. This means that there is still a place for his charm and good looks in the marketing strategies for Red Bull Racing.
Quite rather, Marko was questioning the likelihood of Ricciardo ever being able to race in any other class, thus suggesting that he thinks 35 year old Ricciardo might be on the verge of retirement from racing as a sport entirely. “I find it hard to imagine him moving into another racing category,” he confessed. This could be the point of inflection that will force Ricciardo to appraise how exactly he wants to spend the next days of his life, more so, considering that he does not have to struggle financially anymore.
In the end, it does appear that Ricciardo is at a juncture, forced to consider whether she finds the idea of remaining within the world of motorsports primarily as a public relations practitioner more appealing than exiting the competitive realm in which she has made quite a name for herself. Certainly, however, it is apparent that whatever he chooses, he has no shortage of alternatives.
