Webber: Ricciardo is on a tightrope

Mark Webber knows a thing or two about the Red Bull Formula 1 team and, ahead of the season opening Australian Grand Prix, is warning fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo that he is on a tightrope as new contract negotiations beckon.

Ricciardo has agreed with his team that in April he will make a decision on his future. The smart money is on Ricciardo extending with the energy drinks outfit, however, there may be alternative options. For him, at this stage of his career, only Ferrari or Mercedes would be options that could match or surpass what Red Bull have on the table.

Red Bull are in the throes of deciding their future engine supplier with Honda now in partnership with their Toro Rosso junior team. Their hopes are clear and the ball is in the court of the Japanese manufacturer.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Webber cautioned, “The stopwatch is important – the first part of the year is very important for him. He knows that. He is on a tightrope. There is no question. Any driver comes to that point in his career where it’s negotiation time again on contract – there is a little bit more in the air around the team.”

“I have been through that stability, in the middle of it where you are just knuckling down, and, obviously, right on the edge where you are waiting to renew your contract, whether it’s you stalling or the team stalling. I have been through both of those.

“At the end of the day, when the helmet is on, it can’t affect you, whether you have a five-year contract or a five-minute contract – you have to deliver. The team sees that. They are measuring everything now, there is nowhere to hide which is good for him because it sorts out the wheat from the chaff. That’s why he has had a long career and continues to have a long career because he deserves to be there.”

Webber explained why Ricciardo’s current team should be top of his list, “Red Bull, do they know how to put a championship together? Absolutely. They are crafty, in the trenches, they will use every trick in the book. They know what to do to put a long campaign together.”

And concedes, “It’s just whether Renault can sustain the blowtorch of the amount of horsepower and consistency and reliability that Mercedes have over the course of a long campaign.

“Then they have a big decision to make at Red Bull of what they do with their engine themselves. That’s going to be another thing playing out in Daniel’s decision-making process. They might have a different engine next year with a Honda, or stay with Renault, they have got a lot of thinking to do at Red Bull in terms of what power unit they use,” added Webber.

Big Question: What is the best option for Daniel?