"Daniel Ricciardo has got time running out on his Formula 1 career": Former McLaren man gives his verdict on the Australian driver's career

Daniel Ricciardo's time in F1 might be running out. That's the view of former McLaren man and pundit Marc Priestley. The Australian has not had a great start to the season. He has been out-qualified in both races, and doesn't appear to have the kind of comfort or command in the car that many have come to expect from him.

The last race in Jeddah was particularly poor for Daniel Ricciardo. He finished the race at the back and even had a spin late in the race. During this time, Yuki Tsunoda was ahead and even qualified in Q3. During all of this, questions have been raised by many because 2024 was supposed to be the year the Australian proved himself.

He was brought to the team with the expectation of proving himself and getting ready to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull. Looking at the first two races, that's certainly not happening at the moment.

Talking about Daniel Ricciardo on his own YouTube channel ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Marc Priestley felt that the former McLaren driver's time in F1 might be coming to an end. He said:

“Daniel Ricciardo, at the other end of his career, he’s getting a hurry up from Helmut Marko. He’s getting the world starting to talk about him in terms of questioning him. Is he really what everyone thought he was? Is it the excitement we thought it was going to be when he came back into the sport?"

He added:

“Actually, he’s not beating his teammate consistently enough and that is the very first step to becoming a legendary driver in Formula 1 – you have to beat your teammate. He’s not doing that enough and I think, with young drivers poking their heads up and saying, ‘Look at me’. Daniel Ricciardo has got time running out on his Formula 1 career."

"We might be seeing the last of Daniel Ricciardo in 2024" - Marc Priestley

Much has been said about the Australian and how he has performed in the first two races. There have even been suggestions that Ricciardo might be passed over after the stint at McLaren and that something is not fixed in terms of the overall performance.

Marc Priestley seems to concur, as he said that while the driver is a great character, some of the wrong decisions in his career have come back to haunt him. Claiming that we might be seeing the last of Daniel Ricciardo, he further said:

“It’s a shame because I think he’s a great guy, a great character in the sport and has been a great driver, but he seems to have made some poor decisions that have cost him dearly over the course of the last few years. And I wonder if we might be seeing the last of him in 2024.”

The race weekend in Australia is the 34-year-old's home race. The driver does not have a great record in Melbourne, as he is yet to score even a single podium. Ricciardo will, however, be looking to bounce back, as all is not lost in the first two races of the season.