Daniel Ricciardo won’t be able match Sergio Perez‘s ‘magic job’ at Red Bull, claims Eddie Jordan

Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez
Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez

Red Bull reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo is settling in nicely with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, after joining forces with his former employer this year. Since his announcement as the third driver on the team, speculations of Ricciardo replacing Sergio Perez have surfaced online.

Daniel Ricciardo reunited with his former team after spending two successful seasons with Renault followed by a forgettable two-year spell at McLaren. Even though the Australian was returning home with a slump in form, the multiple-time race winner was still held in high regard.

However, former F1 team owner, Eddie Jordan reckons that there is 'no way' Ricciardo could match Perez's results in the second seat at Red Bull. In a discussion with David Coulthard in Formula For Success podcast, the 75-year-old said opined:

"I’ve gone through this on a number of occasions and I actually think, you know, Daniel Ricciardo is there, but there’s no way Daniel is going to do the job that Checo is doing, in my opinion."

He added:

"Having seen what Daniel has done, and as much as we like the guy, he’s just a fabulous person to be around, but Checo is doing a magic job."

According to the-race.com, Daniel Ricciardo's driving style suffered a negative impact during his stint at McLaren. Ricciardo's first simulator session with Red Bull was described as "a f*****g disaster," by a person with the knowledge of the situation. However, as time passed, the 'honey badger' returned to his normal style of driving, leaving behind the habits picked up at Mclaren.

F1 Grand Prix of Australia
F1 Grand Prix of Australia

Entering his third season with Red Bull, Perez has upped his performances this year. Five races into the season, he has won two races, with his teammate Max Verstappen scoring the remaining wins. The Mexican driver is second in the standings, just 14 points behind Verstappen.

It would be a tough task for the Australian to snatch the second seat if Perez continues his strong form.


Rumors regarding Daniel Ricciardo replacing Nyck de Vries debunked

F1 Grand Prix of Miami
F1 Grand Prix of Miami

Daniel Ricciardo made waves recently after rumors of him replacing Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri went viral. While De Vries has suffered from a wretched start to his rookie season, Ricciardo is reportedly not in line to replace him.

The rumors originated after multiple sources said that Daniel Riccardo visited AlphaTauri's headquarters in Faenza, Italy for a seat-fitting. These rumors were further fuelled by Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko giving De Vries a three-race ultimatum to improve his performances.

However, according to a report by ESPN, Ricciardo did not visit Faenza during his visit to Europe. The Australian traveled straight to Europe after the Miami GP, to attend the wedding of two friends.

The same report also mentions that the 33-year-old had no conversations with the Italian team and he was not in line to replace De Vries. Red Bull junior Liam Lawson is first in line to replace the Dutchman if the need arises.

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