Helmut Marko and Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson were engaged in a long and jovial chat on the RB doorstep in the F1 paddock on Sunday.
The meeting is not unusual in itself with Lawson coming through Red Bull’s ranks under the eye of Marko.
But the optics of Marko brazenly speaking in-depth with Lawson, as well as team chief Peter Bayer, will not be lost on Daniel Ricciardo fans.
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‘LEFT ME COLD’: F1’s great Aussie GP drama… and the ‘shame’ that will always linger
Lawson was Ricciardo’s nearest competitor for a seat at RB, and even replaced the Australian while he was injured last season with a broken hand.
He performed well, and has made it no secret that he feels ready to replace Ricciardo should the team wish to make the switch.
Again, it’s important to stress that Marko and Lawson regularly cross paths and speak.
But it was the brazen nature of the conversation – at Ricciardo’s Grand Prix a day after a new season low for the veteran – that is hard to ignore.
Nothing happens outside the four walls of a team’s paddock hospitality suite in secret. At any given moment, a dozen TV crews from across the globe, or one of the hundreds of photographers and journalists on location, will spot it.
No one even remotely involved in F1 is oblivious to that fact, much less Marko who is a seasoned pro when it comes to using the media to send a message.
Which is why the decision to meet with Bayer on the team’s doorstep, and then bring in Lawson to happily chat for about 10 minutes, may not be completely without purpose.
The three men appeared comfortable with the fact that a camera crew and multiple photographers caught on, and captured the moment witnessed by Fox Sports Australia.
Ricciardo will start Sunday’s race from 18th after his best lap time on Saturday was deleted for exceeding track limits.
Mixed day for Aussies in Melbourne | 02:10
STARTING GRID
1. Max Verstappen
2. Carlos Sainz
3. Lando Norris
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Oscar Piastri
6. Sergio Perez*
7. George Russell
8. Yuki Tsunoda
9. Lance Stroll
10. Fernando Alonso
11. Lewis Hamilton
12. Alex Albon
13. Valtteri Bottas
14. Kevin Magnussen
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Pierre Gasly
18. Daniel Ricciardo
19. Zhou Guanyu
*Sergio Perez was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Nico Hulkenberg in qualifying
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‘PLAY THE LONG GAME’ — WHY RICCIARDO CAN ‘CHARGE THROUGH THE FIELD’
Daniel Ricciardo had a horror Saturday on home soil and will start from the last row of the grid for the Australian Grand Prix at 3pm.
But he’s still hopeful of “charging through the field” in this afternoon’s race around Albert Park in Melbourne.
Ricciardo qualified just 18th – second-slowest – after having a lap time deleted in qualifying for exceeding track limits.
But history shows that there’s still hope he can claim what would be a hugely valuable points finish.
In last year’s race, a full eight drivers failed to finish amid a series of chaotic accidents. The race was red-flagged three times, with seven drivers eliminated due to accidents or crashes, while Mercedes’ George Russell suffered an engine issue that ended his race prematurely.
Sergio Perez of Red Bull went from a pit-lane start – effectively last – to finish fifth, while Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll surged from 17th to fourth despite an early collision before running through the gravel in the closing stages.
The year before, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull caught fire after a fuel leak, legendary multiple champion Sebastian Vettel crashed out, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz also failed to finish after an early off-track.
So anything can happen – even if the outlook is dire.
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Sky Sports’ Karun Chandhok said Ricciardo will need to remain patient.
“He’s just going to have to survive in some ways because this is a track where we’ve seen incidents and there’s a bit of jeopardy involved,” he said.
“Maybe that is something where he’s just going to play the long game and try to stay clean for the first lap and see how it unfolds.”
And Ricciardo told Sky F1 that despite the “painful” failure in qualifying, he hopes he can go “charging through the field.”
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