Red Bull taskmaster Helmut Marko issues final ultimatum to Nyck de Vries as Daniel Ricciardo threat looms large

AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries may be replaced, according to rumors that have been stoked by Daniel Ricciardo's recent trip to the Italian Formula 1 team's factory for a seat fitting.

The rough start to de Vries' F1 career has raised concerns regarding his future at AlphaTauri. According to Motorsport.com, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has now issued an ultimatum to the Dutchman. If de Vries fails to improve his performances over the next three races in Italy, Monaco and Spain, he could be replaced by Ricciardo.

However, Ricciardo's visit to Faenza was not unusual. A seat fitting is required since, as part of his agreement with Red Bull for this season, the Australian will also act as AlphaTauri's reserve driver at some races.

Ricciardo would be a clear candidate to replace de Vries if the Italian team decided to shuffle its drivers, especially with Red Bull claiming that the Australian has found his lost form in the simulator and is back to his best.

De Vries has so far fallen short of expectations after delivering a super-sub performance in Monza last year.

Five races into his first full season in F1, de Vries is one of only two drivers who remain pointless at the bottom of the standings, while his teammate Yuki Tsunoda continues to impress and fight for points at every race week.

De Vries has so far managed two P14 finishes, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, before crashing out in Australia and Baku. He finished P18 in Miami, after crashing with Lando Norris on the first lap.

With a triple-header coming up on circuits that de Vries is very familiar with, there should be a greater opportunity to gauge his ability, which is why his performance at Imola, Monaco and Barcelona will be vital to determining his future.

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Daniel Ricciardo is set to drive an F1 car in July

Daniel Ricciardo has confirmed his plans to take part in a Pirelli tire test at Silverstone in July, marking his comeback to the F1 track. Ricciardo has previously stated his desire to return to F1 in 2024, and he is eager to take advantage of a rare opportunity to demonstrate his speed behind the wheel.

F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Practice

Ricciardo is currently without a ride. He made the decision to take a gap year when his contract with McLaren was cancelled in August, 2022 in the hopes of being able to reclaim a spot at one of the top teams. He is currently serving as Red Bull's backup driver.

In the event that Sergio Perez or Max Verstappen are unable to operate the wheel, Ricciardo will take over. The testing will provide the former Red Bull protégé a tremendous chance to impress the Milton Keynes-based team.