F1 team CEO is against signing Daniel Ricciardo for 2025 after his disappointing McLaren spell

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Daniel Ricciardo and his camp have begun exploring alternative options for the 2025 season, according to a report. The Australian is at risk of losing his seat at RB this year.

There is significant uncertainty around the Red Bull driver pool at the moment as Sergio Perez comes under intense pressure. But Ricciardo isn’t in contention to replace Perez should Red Bull make a change.

Instead, he’s fighting to earn an extension at junior team RB. The Australian has had some standout moments this year – P4 in the Miami Sprint and P5 in Canada qualifying among them – but he hasn’t been as consistent as expected.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, his camp have now started ‘recommending’ him to other teams in the event that he loses his drive. Ricciardo is an eight-time race-winner with 32 podiums to his name but his stock is clearly low.

Martin Brundle says it was a mistake to leave Red Bull for Renault back in 2018. He would spend just two years with the French manufacturer before switching to McLaren, where he was sacked for the first time in his F1 career.

Ricciardo then spent half a season on the sidelines before he was given the chance to replace Nyck de Vries midway through 2023. While he’s been a closer match for Yuki Tsunoda, he’s still played second fiddle.

Audi CEO Andreas Seidl not keen on Daniel Ricciardo

Sauber, who will become Audi in 2026, are one of the teams who have been offered Ricciardo. However, the report states that they’re showing ‘little interest’ in signing him.

Andreas Seidl, the CEO of the Audi F1 project, vividly remembers his disappointing showings at McLaren. Ricciardo’s spell at Woking coincided with Seidl’s stint as team principal.

The German was one of the ‘driving forces’ behind the decision to sack him and bring in Oscar Piastri at the end of 2022. As such, he’s against a reunion at Audi.

While Ricciardo claimed the only race win of their partnership at the 2021 Italian GP, Lando Norris completely dominated in both the Saturday and Sunday head-to-heads. He wound up scoring nearly double the points overall.

Audi aren’t the only midfield team with a vacancy for next year. Ricciardo has held talks with Williams, but they’re expected to sign Valtteri Bottas to replace Logan Sargeant instead.

Seidl faces sack threat after Carlos Sainz failure

Audi have already signed Ricciardo’s former Renault teammate Nico Hulkenberg ahead of their arrival. But they want a big name in the sister car.

Carlos Sainz has long been their top target, but they look set to lose out. And this is creating a power struggle within the leadership ranks.

Seidl could lose his job before Audi have so much as turned a wheel in F1. It’s clear that the pressure is already ramping up.

It’s possible that the German manufacturer will sign a driver on a one-year deal and then revisit the situation in 12 months’ time. George Russell may be available for 2026 as he approaches the end of his Mercedes contract, and he’d certainly be a statement addition.