Daniel Ricciardo in ‘negotiations’ with surprise F1 team amidst RB exit rumours

Rumoured to be on his way out of RB at the end of this season, Daniel Ricciardo is reportedly in “negotiations with Williams” according to Will Buxton.

Unable to secure a Red Bull promotion as the team opted instead to retain Sergio Perez for the 2025 F1 season, Ricciardo’s future with the Red Bull squad has been the subject of many a rumour.

Liam Lawson in at RB? Daniel Ricciardo off to Williams?

But in the last few weeks, there have been strong words from Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko hinting at Ricciardo’s pending exit.

Having told Kleine Zeitung that RB is a “junior team and we have to act accordingly”, Marko added: “We will have to put a young driver in there soon. That would be Liam Lawson.”

More recently he told Bild that Red Bull will “offer” Lawson something , that something being a “cockpit for next year.”

He continued: “It is clear that RB are a junior team. That is also communicated internally and everyone has understood that.”

It begs the question, what’s next for Ricciardo?

According to Buxton it could be Williams with talk the eight-time Grand Prix winner is in “negotiations” with the Grove team to replace Logan Sargeant as Alex Albon’s 2025 team-mate.

“His entire future [is] on the line right now,” he told F1TV . “There is much talk that he will be out of this seat after the summer break.

“There is talk that he may be in negotiations with Williams for their second seat next year alongside Alex Albon.

“Williams, as we understand, are sick of waiting for Carlos Sainz to make his mind up on where he wants to go next year and may close that door off for him.”

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Daniel Ricciardo isn’t alone in speaking with Williams

Despite the rumour Ricciardo has said he’s unlikely to look to another team for the 2025 season, saying at the Austrian Grand Prix that it is RB or bust.

“I would say no,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com when asked if he had other options. “I don’t know but I am, not to be stubborn or arrogant about it, but I’m not looking anywhere else.

“I said I really do enjoy being back in the [Red Bull] family. I weirdly do enjoy sometimes a little bit of the pokes from Helmut because I think it also could also be a way to get me a little bit fired up and try to get the best out of me.”

However, if Ricciardo is in talks with Williams, he’s not the only one.

Said to be tired of Sainz’s dallying, formu1a.uno reports that Esteban Ocon has also re-engaged with the team having announced his Alpine departure.

Stating that Ocon “seemed headed in the direction of Haas”, the Italian publication claims he has “now reopened contacts with Williams.”

Sainz, who was heavily linked to Williams and reportedly even spoke with Albon about the team, is Alpine special advisor Flavio Briatore’s favourite to replace Ocon.

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