F1: Are Red Bull at risk of losing a driver in silly season?

Could the dominant Red Bull Racing team lose one of its drivers in the background to an open seat during silly season?

Silly season in Formula One is nearly upon us, where open seats are exchanged like musical chairs and drivers on the fringe of the sport just hope they’re seated when the music stops.

Teams and drivers alike enter this part of the season with both excitement and anxiety. Teams with open seats can completely change their fortunes for the upcoming year. Look at Aston Martin, who has taken things to a new gear by adding Fernando Alonso last silly season.

Red Bull, who stands far above the rest of the field in the constructor’s standings, looks safe on the outside. Its two main drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, are under contract through the end of 2028 and 2024, respectively.

But they might still lose a driver.

Daniel Ricciardo could exit Red Bull as third driver

Daniel Ricciardo back at Red Bull in any capacity just feels right. He flew a bit too close to the sun jumping from team to team — first Renault, then McLaren — when revisionist history tells us he probably would have been better off staying at Red Bull years ago.

Verstappen’s ascension happened as Ricciardo was appearing to lose a gear in his driving ability, and he jumped ship just before Red Bull went on its run of dominance. Ricciardo might not have stuck around even if he didn’t leave of his own volition, drivers like Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly couldn’t hold onto the seat after being called up from AlphaTauri before Perez solidified himself there.

Ricciardo came back as the team’s third driver this year. He’s a face everyone in the sport remembers primarily as a Red Bull driver, and certainly a good public relations add for the team, even if he’s unlikely to see the physical grid this year.

Here’s what Ricciardo recently told Total Motorsport about his desire to race competitively again:

"“I want to keep learning with the team and see what else I can absorb over the next few races… I do want to get back next year… I do want to compete. I feel more refreshed, and obviously, I’ve flushed out a difficult two years. So I’m in a good place.”"

Ricciardo wants to get back. The question is whether or not there will be a seat for him. As it stands, the most competitive look like they have stable drivers at the one-two position. Younger drivers like Mick Schumacher could be more attractive signings for fringe teams with open seats.

Ricciardo, though, will be looking for a spot on the starting grid, it appears. Could he even look to go out of Formula One entirely to drive, such as to IndyCar? There were rumors McLaren pursued that possibility with him last season before parting ways.

If Ricciardo wants to race, Red Bull probably isn’t the long-term fit for him.