Daniel Ricciardo needs to demonstrate “head-turning form,” according to Christian Horner, if he wants to run for a Red Bull seat as he intended in 2025.

The Red Bull team principal acknowledged that Ricciardo had “underperformed” thus far in the season. Despite having one of his best weekends of the year thus far, Lance Stroll punched him out of the Chinese Grand Prix during the Safety Car restart.

Daniel Ricciardo needs to be in “head-turning form” in order to be seated at Red Bull.

Until he retired, Ricciardo outperformed teammate Yuki Tsunoda in Shanghai, but this season he has mostly failed to keep up with the Japanese driver at RB.

Both drivers are vying to be Max Verstappen’s teammates in the “senior” Red Bull squad for the upcoming season, and Horner said they are both being evaluated based on their performance thus far.

They are aware that they cannot rest on their laurels, though, since Liam Lawson, a highly regarded reserve, is prepared for a drive.

Though it will require a significant improvement in performance, Horner clarified that nothing has been determined for 2025 and that Ricciardo still has a long way to go before staking a claim for a Red Bull drive.

“Well, I think that it’s pretty much in Daniel’s hands,” Horner told media in China when asked if Ricciardo is still in the running to be a Red Bull driver in 2025.

“He needs to show the kind of head-turning form to make not only ourselves but potentially to make others take notice – and we’re only at race five.

“Now, obviously, waiting in the wings is a driver with the talent of Liam Lawson, who naturally is champing at the bit to get an opportunity.

“But there’s nothing pre-set or preordained as to when or even if that would take place. The priority is for sure for the drivers that are in the race seats at the moment and we’ll see how that pans out.

“It’s still early days, isn’t it? I mean, his season hasn’t really got going yet.

“He’s had some difficulties, and I think by his own admittance he would feel that he’s underperformed so far this year, but we’re only at race five.

“Obviously, we keep a close eye on the drivers, we keep a close eye on their development and I have to say, Yuki, conversely, has had a great start to the season and is driving very well.

“So, for us, as a sister team, we take a close interest on those drivers.”