Ricciardo ’must deliver’ for Red Bull future

Daniel Ricciardo admits he has been earmarked as a potential future replacement for his countryman Mark Webber.

But the young Australian, who with his Red Bull backing replaced Narain Karthikeyan at HRT earlier this season, acknowledged that he first must prove he is up to the task.

"It’s all just a bit of talk and speculation, as there always is," Ricciardo, 22, told the West Australian newspaper from Spa-Francorchamps.

"But the reality is I am under a Red Bull contract, so the future, their target, would be to get me in the seat, provided I’m good enough for it.

"I think that’s what they’d probably like in the future, so I’ve got to deliver."