Watch: Helmut Marko's intriguing pre-race chat with Daniel Ricciardo pointing to Sergio Perez's car

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko had a brief chat with Daniel Ricciardo right before the Singapore GP where he pointed towards Sergio Perez's Red Bull car. This was amid rumors that the race at Marina Bay could be Daniel Ricciardo's last in F1.

Ever since the start of the 2024 F1 season, Ricciardo has been under the scanner as many reports emerged about his alleged replacement by Liam Lawson. This was particularly because of his subpar performance in RB. He was unable to outscore his younger teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, and only scored in four races up until now.

As the Singapore GP arrived, rumors about it being Ricciardo's last race resurfaced. Right before the race, Helmut Marko came to the Australian's car, shook hands with him, and had a brief chat. During his talk, he also pointed towards the front of the grid, where Perez was in his Red Bull.

A few moments later, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also arrived wishing Ricciardo well for the race ahead.

Watch the clip below:

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In the past, there have been several rumors that Ricciardo, despite his poor performances, could replace Sergio Perez in Red Bull. The Mexican has also struggled in 2024, especially after the Miami GP. While his teammate, Max Verstappen, continues to defend his world championship, Checo is having trouble finishing anywhere near the podium.

As of now, nothing has been confirmed by any team about driver changes. Ricciardo and Perez continue to drive for their respective teams, RB and Red Bull.

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Daniel Ricciardo admitted that replacing Sergio Perez in Red Bull had crossed his mind

Daniel Ricciardo recently talked about how the thought of replacing Sergio Perez has crossed his mind. Speaking to Sky Sports, prior to the Dutch GP, he explained how he kept his mind in check and did not expect a driver change to happen.

He said that he told himself to keep pushing hard and patiently wait for a call if it arrived. In the end, he stated he did not receive a call for a driver change but was not too surprised, since he was prepared for it.

"I didn't rule it out. I thought maybe something could happen but I also didn't expect it or get my hopes up. I was aware 'maybe something changes', but I just thought: 'Do what I'm doing and if I get a call, I get a call.' I didn't get a call but that's what I mentally prepared myself for," Ricciardo said.

As of now, Ricciardo is in 14th place with 12 points in his pocket. Meanwhile, his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda is in 12th place with 22 points.