Sorry, what’s that? Daniel Ricciardo? Back to Red Bull? In an F1 2024 seat swap with Sergio Perez? Friday’s F1 news has to be seen to be believed.
On the day Lando Norris was embroiled in another on-track incident with a Red Bull, let’s motor through the main headlines from Friday at the British Grand Prix…
F1 news: Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez seat swap on the cards?
Daniel Ricciardo to swap seats with Sergio Perez during F1 2024?
PlanetF1.com understands that Red Bull have not ruled out the possibility of a seat swap between Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez during the F1 2024 season.
Ricciardo returned to the grid with VCARB (then AlphaTauri) in F1 2023 with the stated aim of reclaiming his former seat with Red Bull Racing, but his dream of a return seemed over when the team confirmed Perez had signed a new contract last month.
Ricciardo’s own seat has come under scrutiny over recent weeks, with Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko talking openly about the team’s plans to offer a drive to Liam Lawson for F1 2025.
Yet concerns over Perez’s recent performances could see Ricciardo make a sensational return to Red Bull before the year is out.
Read more: Sensational Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull return mooted as Sergio Perez struggles continue
Red Bull fined after Lando Norris near-miss
Red Bull were fined €20,000 for an incident involving Lando Norris during opening practice at Silverstone ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
Perez sat out FP1 at Silverstone as Red Bull fulfilled their obligation to run a young driver in practice during the season, with F2 star Isack Hadjar taking the Mexican’s place.
Norris, who went on to set the pace in both practice sessions on Friday, was forced to slam on the brakes after encountering a slow-moving Hadjar close to the end of FP1, with Red Bull hit where it hurts.
Read more: FIA fine Red Bull and formal driver warning issued after latest Lando Norris incident
Zak Brown: No interest in speaking to Christian Horner
Norris’s near-miss with Hadjar came less than a week after the McLaren driver made contact with Max Verstappen in the closing laps in Austria.
And McLaren chief executive Zak Brown appeared to be still smarting from the incident at Silverstone, taking aim at a perceived “lack of respect” from Red Bull and even referring to sensitive issues behind the scenes at the reigning Constructors’ Champions.
Asked if he would take his complaints to Horner, Brown said: “I don’t really have any interest in speaking with Christian.”
Read more: Zak Brown makes feelings on Christian Horner very clear as Red Bull rivalry heats up
Zak Brown questions Red Bull’s handling of Max Verstappen
And Brown did not stop there, questioning Red Bull’s handling of Verstappen in light of the clash with Norris in Austria.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella claimed after the incident that the FIA’s failure to punish Verstappen “properly” for a series of incidents with Lewis Hamilton in 2021 had emboldened the World Champion to race with such unbridled aggression to this day.
Brown took a similar line of criticism, claiming teams have a “responsibility to let the drivers know what the limits are” and expressing his disappointment at the way Red Bull protected Verstappen last weekend.
The McLaren boss also called for F1 and the FIA to employ full-time stewards to improve the consistency of decisions.
Read more: McLaren call for Max Verstappen ‘limits’ clampdown and ‘full-time’ FIA stewards
Carlos Sainz to Mercedes back on?
Toto Wolff has revealed that Carlos Sainz remains an option to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the F1 2025 season.
Sainz’s remaining options had appeared to be between Alpine, Williams and long-term admirers Audi, but Wolff has admitted that the outgoing Ferrari driver would represent a “safe bet.”
And the Mercedes boss has opened up about the team’s talks with Fernando Alonso before the two-time World Champion agreed a new deal with Aston Martin…
Read more: Mercedes door remains open to Carlos Sainz with ‘definitely still a chance’ claim