Daniel Ricciardo has said he has no interest in exploring F1 opportunities outside Red Bull amid ongoing speculation about his 2025 prospects.
Ricciardo finds himself in the unprecedented position of either earning a promotion to Red Bull’s senior team next season or potentially losing his current seat at RB altogether.
Yuki Tsunoda has signed a contract extension with RB and Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has said reserve Liam Lawson is a sure bet on the grid in 2025.
If Lawson is given the RB drive, Ricciardo’s hope will be to persuade the reigning champion to drop Sergio Perez and put him alongside Max Verstappen.
The Australian, who had been linked with a mid-season transfer due to Perez’s poor form, admitted his performances before the break did not merit promotion.
However, Ricciardo is determined to secure his place at either the Red Bull-owned team next season and has ruled out pursuing any potential contingencies elsewhere.
When asked if his full focus was on Red Bull, Ricciardo told media including Motorsport Week: “Yes, I am. And I think I’m happiest to be back here.”
“In terms of performance, it’s nice not having to look elsewhere, or having all these other little distractions, because you can just focus on this.
“It’s an all-in approach, but I also think that approach brings out the best in me. And if that’s not enough, that’s life.”
“But I think it would also strengthen it and also simplify it, so I think that’s the best approach.”
“I know it’s not coming from a place of stubbornness either, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Ricciardo has ruled out a move to Audi.
Ricciardo is seen as the leading candidate to take over the vacant Sauber driver role as the Hinwil-based team prepares to move into a works Audi setup in 2026.
But the eight-time race winner has made it clear that staying with Red Bull is his only wish and explained that he had not received any approaches from rival teams.
“They [other teams] “I’m like, ‘No one’s contacted me, so don’t worry about it,'” he added.
“No, I wouldn’t say people call me and say, ‘Hey, if this doesn’t work, here’s a way for us to do it.’
“But I think I’ve been pretty open about not wanting to do it…I’ve obviously been jumping around a lot over the last few years, and that can be exhausting in itself.
“I feel like I’ve worked hard to get back here and Red Bull has given me the opportunity to come back here, so I don’t just want to ignore this and say, well, there’s no next time for me, this is it, I’m grateful for what they’ve given me now and I just want to try and make it work with them.”