Australian Daniel Ricciardo set for Caterham F1 drive in 2012

Speaking to the West Australian newspaper, Perth boy Daniel Ricciardo has admitted his best chance of staying in F1 next year is with the Caterham team. He also confirmed Red Bull will continue to back him.

The 22-year-old who broke onto the F1 scene mid way through the 2011 season with HRT has had a question mark over his head about 2012. Red Bull, notorious for cutting its backed drivers at a moments notice, has two spare seats at the Scuderia Toro Rosso team, which it owns. But it has four drivers in contention for that seat.

Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi, who held the Scuderia Toro Rosso seats this year are up against Ricciardo and Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne. Ricciardo, however, has said that he has been told by Red Bull that it is not likely an STR seat will be his, with the Alguersuari and Buemi likely to stay on. Instead, Caterham, formerly Lotus, has taken pole position for his services with Italian Jarno Trulli likely to step aside.

On Caterham, he told the West Australian: “”I would like to say there’s a chance, but at least for me that’s probably all it is for now, just a chance. It would be a step up from this year, so it’s not really a bad thing. I doubt they’ll still be able to fight for points next year. They’ll still be towards the further end, but I think they’re progressing well.

If Caterham do pick Ricciardo, it would be the second year in row two Australians were on the F1 grid.

Via The West Australian