The summer break in Formula 1 is always devoid of any racing action but always packed with drama. This time around, too, the silly season of F1 is billing up to be one of the most spectacular ones to come. With Daniel Ricciardo now in the fray at Red Bull, who will take the axe?

Currently, it appears as though only two drivers in the Red Bull camp are free from any threat of being sacked. Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda have both been performing at the top of their games as compared to their teammates. But with Sergio Perez and rookie Nyck de Vries in the unfortunate limelight, who does Ricciardo have the best shot at replacing?

Helmut Marko spells grim Daniel Ricciardo situation

Earlier, the Honey Badger was quoted by ESPN as saying, “This for me would be like the fairytale. Honestly, the fairytale ending [would be] to finish my career here [at Red Bull] if I could have it all my own way.” Then, is the fairytale on after all?

Well, if you are a Daniel Ricciardo fan, then what team advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has to say isn’t going to suit you well. As things stand, Ricciardo is not in contention for a Red Bull seat. Speaking to Sky Sports Germany after Checo’s Q1 exit at Silverstone, Marko stated, “There’s no-one available who could replace Perez. He performs well in the races, in contrast to Nyck de Vries.”

Read More: “Ricciardo Will Be Max’s Teammate Next Year”: As Sergio Perez Reaches Unpleasant Milestone, Daniel’s RB Comeback Dubbed a Certainty by Fans

Don’t despair just yet Ricciardo fans! Marko’s comments about Ricciardo’s future may have a hidden silver lining.

Ricciardo wants to pave a path back to Red Bull

Marko has made his stand clear. Out of the four drivers on the Red Bull roster, only Nyck de Vries is replaceable. That means, if Ricciardo wants to return to F1 racing full-time in 2024, it has to be with AlphaTauri. But is he up for the task?

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The Australian told Crash.net, “I’m remaining open-minded. If it’s like ‘this is you and you are signing a three-year deal and that’s the only place you are going to be’, then no, that’s maybe not the deal I would look for. But if there’s the possibility to obviously be here [Red Bull]… The truth is this is where I want to be. I’m not going to weave my way around it.”

Will we see Daniel Ricciardo back in F1 in 2024?

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