Daniel Ricciardo wants to assess how the performance of the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team improves before making any decisions for 2019 – and he might wait as long as after the summer break to do so.
The Australian had previously said that he would want to see more wins from the team before committing to them and, with only one win so far this season, he’s keeping his options open. He’s reportedly speaking to front-runners Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport, who both seem to be looking to replace the Finns in their lineup.
Despite his contract running out at the end of the year, Ricciardo told The Paddock Magazine that he doesn’t feel he needs to sign anything urgently, and that he will sign something when he knows what’s happening next year.
“I don’t feel like I need to sign anything soon.
“I also want to see what happens with the team and with the other teams as well.
“So we’ll see how the year takes place… I know that at some point, other teams will want to know my decision, but for me, for my mind, it does not matter right now.
“It could be after the summer as well… when I know what is going to happen next year, I’ll be happy to sign something.”
Meanwhile Red Bull boss Christian Horner has said that he expects a decision by the summer break “at the latest“, as the team “have other good options” – notably Carlos Sainz Jr., who is currently on loan to the Renault Sport Formula One Team. The Spaniard put in a solid performance in Red Bull sister team Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda in 2017, finishing as high as fourth in the Singapore Grand Prix and ninth for the year, and currently sits tenth in the Driver’s Championship.
