{"id":294363,"date":"2023-10-25T21:39:35","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T21:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=294363"},"modified":"2023-10-25T21:39:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T21:39:35","slug":"christian-horner-offers-ricciardo-alternative-to-replace-perez-at-red-bull","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/racing\/f1\/christian-horner-offers-ricciardo-alternative-to-replace-perez-at-red-bull\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian Horner offers Ricciardo alternative to replace Perez at Red Bull"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christian Horner on Red Bull's success and hints at next step<\/h3>\n

Christian Horner has not ruled out the possibility of replacing Sergio Perez with Yuki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen\u2019s teammate at Red Bull. Daniel Ricciardo seemed to be in pole position should the seat become available but according to reports, the Red Bull boss is keeping the Japanese driver on his radar.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old is currently 16th in the Driver Standings with eight points, more than the likes of Alfa Romeo\u2019s Zhou Guanyu and Haas\u2019 Kevin Magnussen. In September he signed a one-year extension at AlphaTauri, as did his teammate Ricciardo. But with Perez currently under pressure and his contract set to expire in 2024, Horner added Tsunoda, a Red Bull junior driver, to his list of options for Red Bull’s second seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cYuki is a very quick driver, and we\u2019ve seen him evolve over the last three years. He now goes into his fourth season [2024] as a junior driver,\u201d Horner said, as quoted by Last Word on Sports. “What you have to remember is that Red Bull Racing\u2019s only interest in AlphaTauri is as a potential springboard into a Red Bull seat.” Shutting down the theory Tsunoda became part of the Red Bull program because of his nationality, Horner said: \u201cYuki is in Formula 1 because of his talent, not because of his nationality.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, whether he ultimately proves to be good enough to step up to the Red Bull Racing team \u2026 He will have to earn that opportunity based on what he does on track.\u201d In July, Horner expressed his excitement about Riccardo returning to Red Bull, claiming he was only on loan to AlphaTauri and would come back to Red Bull once the 2023 season had finished.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But now Ricciardo has signed a new deal with AlphaTauri, which Horner claimed he agreed to with an opportunity for a Red Bull seat in 2025 in the back of his mind. Deciding who Verstappen\u2019s teammate will be comes with great difficulty given the level he is operating at.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old has won his third consecutive world title and so far he has failed to win just three races in what has been a dominant F1 campaign. Horner described the challenge ahead for whoever lines up against Verstappen, and he is continuing to keep an eye on the talented F1 field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s many drivers that you keep an eye on as well,” he began. “There’s a generation of drivers out there at the moment that have got a huge amount of talent. Now, being Max’s team-mate is never going to be easy and some drivers may be up for that challenge, some may not be.<\/p>\n

Don’t miss… <\/strong>
Red Bull prepare to wield axe as paddock ‘rumour’ piles pressure on Sergio Perez[LATEST] <\/strong>
Lewis Hamilton launches fresh attack on FIA as Perez breaks silence on retiring[LATEST] <\/strong>
Marko picks on Sergio Perez again as new champion crowned at United States GP[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n