Daniel Ricciardo is not at the same level of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez according to Red Bull chief divisor Helmut Marko

Helmut Marko suggested that Daniel Ricciardo is not at the same level he use to be when he raced with them. In an interview with formel1.de, the Red Bull senior advisor stated that the Australian is not on par with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez from their analysis on the simulator.

Speaking in the exclusive interview to the German publication, Marko said:

“N at their level.These are internal details."

He added:

“Tt determination with which he shone with us.Something must have happened to him that slowed him down in his competitiveness. His goal is to get back into a top team. Those were his statements. And I think this break from active sport is good for him so that he can find himself and know where he really wants to go.”

Quitting Red Bull Racing after the 2018 season, Daniel Ricciardo moved to Renault F1 team in 2019 before switching again to McLaren to 2021. However, the Australian was unable to replicate the same success as he did with the Milton Keynes squad. According to Marko, the simulator analysis after his return to them as a reserve has not been encouraging. The Austrian senior advisor revealed that the Australian was not on par with their current drivers Verstappen or Perez according to his analysis but refused to reveal the details of any parameters.

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Helmut Marko dismissed the possibility of Daniel Ricciardo racing at AlphaTauri

Marko dismissed the idea of Daniel Ricciardo replacing Nyck De Vries at AlphaTauri. The Red Bull senior advisor clarified that the Australian is clearly eyeing a top team and wouldn’t want to struggle in a midfield team.

Asked about the possibilities of the Australian driving at their sister team, Marko said:

“For the reasons mentioned and also based on his own statements, that is not an alternative. AlphaTauri is AlphaTauri. And Red Bull Racing is Red Bull Racing. Whether you drive in midfield or whether you drive at the front, that’s a completely different pressure, a completely different climate. […] We know his qualities. Then came the Renault era. Then McLaren came and there was a slump. That wasn’t the Ricciardo we knew.. He does a very good job, does a lot of marketing and PR activities.”

Hailing Daniel Ricciardo for his abilities in terms of marketing and PR, Marko said he was satisfied with the reserve driver role for the Australian. However, in terms of performance, the Austrian still believes the former GP winner is yet to be on par with their current Red Bull drivers. Marko is reported to have confirmed that their junior drivers Liam Lawson and Ayumu Iwasa are more realistic candidates for the Alpha Tauri seat.