Daniel Ricciardo is edging towards retirement unless he can find the form of his younger years, he has been warnedꦅ.

The vetera🐻n RB driver entered the 2024 F1 season hoping to prove his⛎ worth, and earn a step up into the Red Bull next year.

But his results haven't yet justified displacing Sergio Perez, and Ricciardo has been told that he might not earn any full-time drive in 2025 and💝 🃏beyond.

L'Equipe's Fred F🌠erret, speaking before the F1 Ausᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚtralian Grand Prix, told the podcast about Ricciardo's other options: "Retirement. If he is still in this way of driving, from the [first] two races, I would say yes.

"We thought the new [RB] should hไave been the car to be beaten, becꦯause it's a copy of the RB19.

"But the others mad🏅e huge progress so it's still the RB19ꦚ but in the middle of the grid.

"Yuki Tsunoda is performi♛ng better. If Daniel doesn't ꦫperform better, it's going to be tough for him."

Nata💜lie Pinkham added: "Daniel reported some pretty tough challenges with the car in Saudi.

"And yet, Helmut Marಌko was public in his pressure on Daniel yet again.

"If there was a problem on the car, then presumably Marko knew about it. But he chose to speak out publically abou𒉰t Daniel.

"He has the experience to bounce back from this."

Ricciardo was✃ ditched by McLaren after a rough 2022 where he trailed Lando Norris and found himselꦍf without a full-time race seat last year.

Bᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚut he was drafted in midway through to inject some experience into Red Bull's sister team AlphaTauri.

He earned the opportunity after an impressive test in the Red Bull which delighted Christian 𝄹Horner.

Ricciardo's l✅atter half of 2023 was then blighted by injury which gave Liam Lawson a brief chance to show what Red Bull and AlphaTauri were missing.

Ferret argued: "When Daniel moved from Red Bull to Renault it took him some ti🌺me to del♊iver.

"When he moved from Renault to McLaren, he never deliver💛ed, even if he won [one grand prix].

"When he moved from McLaren to [RB] he isn't as impr🐟esౠsive as he was.

"He'𒀰s getting old and🎶 he's not able to come back in every car that he has to drive."

Pinkham said: "Looking at race ♒results, you are right.

"But the♋re are so maಞny caveats. It is littered with caveats.

"That McLaren was so difficult to drive. 🎐Lando has only ever known that McLaren, he grew wi𝔍th the team.

"[Ricciardo] did perform at 🐷Renault. He outperformed the car arguaꦦbly.

"And he broke his hand at Zandvoort [for AlphaTauri last year]! That was a horrible setback for 🐠him.

"And actually it looked as if he was goi꧅ng to do something in that car, towards the latter half o🐽f the season.

"I'm a fan, a supporter, of his. But I recognise that you've got to put the work in, and get the results. It's a results driven gam🌃e.

"But I believe he can do that."