RICCIARDO’S RESPONSE TO MARKO AS ALPINE TEMPT SAINZ AWAY FROM WILLIAMS – F1 NEWS ROUND-UP
It’s been a busy day of F1 news in the Red Bull Ring paddock. Daniel Ricciardo’s options for 2025 are dwindling, while Carlos Sainz has started being tempted by the pull of Alpine as opposed to Williams.
Catch up with all of the latest Formula 1 news as we get closer to the official start of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.
F1 news: Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz to Alpine and more
Daniel Ricciardo says it’s RB or nowhere
Daniel Ricciardo has conceded it is RB or nowhere for F1 2025 after Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko sparked further doubts about his future with the team.
While Yuki Tsunoda has been confirmed for next season, Ricciardo’s fate still hangs in the balance but comments made by Marko this week will not have filled him with much hope.
“I’ve become really good at not reading things,” he told media including PlanetF1.com in Austria. “So I actually didn’t know about it until I was told when I got here.
“I don’t feel one way or another about it, I still know that the overriding thing in this sport is performance. Like that’s it and that’s what will give me my best chance of staying here. I know that it’s not going to be my nice smile or anything else.”
Read more: Daniel Ricciardo makes Red Bull future admission as Helmut Marko sparks exit talk
Alpine could hijack Williams’ proposal to Carlos Sainz Jr.
Sainz still remains without a seat for the F1 2025 season, having been informed that he will be replaced by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari at the end of this year. His choices have seemed to waver between Audi and Williams, but a new contender has emerged in Alpine.
A report by respected French publication L’Equipe has shed more light on the nature of Alpine’s proposal to Sainz, with the team reportedly prepared to include a release clause in any deal.
That would theoretically afford Sainz – who previously spent a 12-month spell at Alpine (then Renault) in 2017/18 – to leave the team after one season if other opportunities materalise ahead of the major F1 2026 rule changes, which are expected to shake up the competitive order.
Read more: Alpine rock Williams with ‘very attractive’ release clause offer to Carlos Sainz – report
Lance Stroll signs with Aston Martin for F1 2025 and beyond
Another piece of the 2025 F1 puzzle has fallen into place, as Aston Martin has confirmed that Lance Stroll will remain with the team in 2025 “and beyond.”
Given his father owns the team, many had considered this to be a matter of when not if but the Silverstone outfit have now confirmed their lineup for 2025 with Stroll to remain Fernando Alonso’s team-mate.
Stroll has occupied a seat with Aston Martin ever since the rebrand in 2021 and his stay will continue until at least 2026 with the team confirming he will be one of their drivers when F1 enters the new era of regulations.
The 25-year-old said: “I’m super happy to have committed to staying with the team for 2025 and beyond. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come in the last five years; we’ve grown so much as a team and there’s still so much more to look forward to.”
Read more: Lance Stroll Aston Martin future update as 2025 grid takes shape
Pierre Gasly will stick it out with Alpine in “multi-year” deal
Alpine, too, has closed off another seat in F1’s game of silly season musical chairs, as Pierre Gasly has been announced to remain with the team for several years.
Gasly joined Alpine on an initial two-year deal in 2023, but has elected to continue with the Renault factory team for the future as he and the team look for a way back to the front of the field
Gasly said: “I feel very much at home at this great team. I enjoy being a real part of both the Formula 1 project and the wider Alpine Cars vision. I’ve been officially here for over 18 months and it has always been the plan to build a long-term project with the Team.
“While on-track it’s been a challenging season so far, I remain faithful to the project and I am not going anywhere. I am happy with the changes made, the hard work, and the direction the team is taking.
“There is a lot of potential in this team’s personnel and resources. I’m excited for what is to come in the future and right now I’m focusing on the everyday details that we are putting in to improve our performances.”