Daniel Ricciardo is reportedly “protected” by Christian Horner amid a disappointing seasonไ so far.

Ricciardo had the backing of the Red Bull team principal last year mid-s𒁃eason when an impressive test enabled h🍨im to return to the F1 grid full-time at sister team AlphaTauri, replacing Nyck de Vries.

Ricciardo entere🌱d this year as a major candidate to replace Sergio Perez, whose Red Bull contract will expire this year.

But he has disappointed with RB this year, and sits 14th in the F1 standings, four places behin🀅d teammate Yuki Tsunoda.

The report that Tsunoda is not “changing minds” at Red Bu🍌ll despite his run of form, which includes scoring points in five of the past six grands prix.

So although Tsunoda may 🍎not be a contender to replace Perez alongside Max Verstappen in 2025, his underperforming teammate Ricciardo still has the same key supporter.

Ri👍cciardo is “safe for now” from being axed at RB, and ജreplaced by Liam Lawson, the BBC report.

However, Ricciardo is another cog in the internal problems within Red Bull that were🔯 laid bare after the investigatio𝐆n which cleared Horner after accusations from a colleague.

Helmut Marko, the veteran adviser within F1’s dominant team, “would prob😼ably like to promote Lawsꦿon” at Ricciardo’s expense.

But Marko “has lost pow꧋er and influence” in the fallout from the controversy involving Horner.

Lawson could conceivably find himself in an RB full-time next season, but it would be alongs✃ide Ricciardo rather than instead of the popular Australian.

Tsunoda may look elsewhere as h🌌e is clearly not going to be promoted from RB to Red Bull.