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Formula 1: Red Bull Racing give Daniel Ricciardo contract deadline

By Asher Fair

SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 15: Race winner Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the Formula One Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on April 15, 2018 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 15: Race winner Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the Formula One Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on April 15, 2018 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
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Aston Martin Red Bull Racing have issued Daniel Ricciardo a contract deadline of August if he wants to remain with the team after the 2018 Formula 1 season.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has issued 28-year-old Daniel Ricciardo a contract deadline if he wants to remain with the team in the 2019 Formula 1 season and perhaps beyond that.

Ricciardo, the six-time Formula 1 race winner who has driven for the team since the 2014 season after spending two seasons driving for the Red Bull Racing junior team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, as a full-time driver in the 2012 season and the 2013 season, is the hottest free agent on the market with his contract set to expire following the conclusion of the 2018 season.

According to Horner, Ricciardo has until August to decided whether or not he wants to stay with Red Bull Racing following the conclusion of the 2018 season. Here is what he had to say about the matter, according to ESPN.

"“We do not want to wait forever. We have other good options. There should be a decision by the summer (August) break at the latest. Our priority is to continue working with Daniel. If that does not work, we’ll pull the other options. The most obvious is Carlos Sainz. He is under contract with us. And then there are a few young drivers.”"

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Red Bull Racing have already signed Max Verstappen through the 2020 season, so Ricciardo staying with the team would likely keep the team’s lineup the same as its been for the last three seasons for at least another two seasons.

However, a move to either Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport as the replacement for Valtteri Bottas or Scuderia Ferrari as the replacement for Kimi Raikkonen seems to be more likely for Ricciardo at this point. Both of those teams, the top two teams in the sport, would like to sign him and should have the opportunity to with the contracts of Bottas and Raikkonen set to expire at the end of the 2018 season, and Ricciardo’s goal is to drive for a team that allows him to be in championship contention.

Ricciardo’s decision will ultimately be the first domino to fall in what should be a crazy silly season will tons of contracts expiring across the current Formula 1 field. In fact, as of now, only Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel have contracts extending beyond the conclusion of the 2018 season with Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, respectively.

Next: Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time

Where will Daniel Ricciardo end up driving in the 2019 Formula 1 season? Will he stay at Red Bull Racing, or will he move to either Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport or Scuderia Ferrari? We should know a lot more about this situation once August rolls around in a few months.

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