Daniel Ricciardo said he "hasn't heard anything" about his future after Helmut Marko suggested he faces the axe from Red Bull.
Speaking to Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung, Marko indicated that time at sister team VCARB will soon be up for the Australian. "The shareholders have made it known that it is a junior team and we have to act accordingly," said the 81-year-old.
"The goal was that [Ricciardo] would be considered for Red Bull Racing with exceptional performances. That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is no longer valid. We have to put a young driver in there soon - that would be Liam Lawson."
Lawson is Red Bull's reserve driver and has waited patiently for his first full-time F1 seat after an impressive five-race stint filling in for Ricciardo while he was out injured last year. A clause in his contract allows him to look elsewhere if he doesn't land a 2025 seat with one of their two teams.
And that puts Ricciardo directly in the firing line. His seat is the only one not yet confirmed for next season and his results so far this term have not been enough to land a new deal like the one team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was handed earlier this month.
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Ricciardo is adamant that he still has the chance to fight for his future, but acknowledges that he needs to improve his form in the coming weeks. Speaking to reporters ahead of this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, the 34-year-old said: "I've obviously got a good opportunity, I say until the summer break - I don't think that's a deadline, but obviously that's what you look at for the first half of the season.
"I look back at Barcelona and it's hard to get excited about a 15th [placed finish, but I was actually really happy with my race. So I would say it's at least now two better weekends in a row, I think.
Liam Lawson is poised for a promotion if Daniel Ricciardo is axed (Getty Images)"That's what I've certainly had trouble double this year, is having a kind of strong of good results. Two is still not enough, of course, at least for where I want to be. I definitely have a chance to get into the summer break with some momentum."
Ricciardo said he didn't know Marko had said anything about his future and, asked if he had received any word internally, he added: "I haven't heard anything. There hasn't been any pressure, ultimatum, nothing like that. But I've also been in the sport a long time. I know if I'm getting my ass kicked every weekend, at some point someone will be like, 'Hey mate, step it up, otherwise...' But I haven't had that.
"I've had good support from Christian [Horner, Red Bull team principal] from Laurent [Mekies, RB team principal], from everyone. They're doing what they can obviously, but then at some point, I'm the one in the car and I've got to push that throttle a bit harder."
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