#I've wanted to say this for awhile but it wasn't until RB released their video that I could really articulate it

[leham-n-daavocado]

Daniel Ricciardo = Checo's Gun

Yes, it is a pun. In storytelling, the concept of Chekhov's gun is that if an element is introduced, it must be used. If a gun is introduced, at some point, it must be fired. We have introduced the gun, we have increased the stakes of the gun by placing it in someone's hands... but it's has yet to be fired.

When I watch all the media and the RB media surrounding Daniel, it just makes me do this 😬/ grimace when I think of Checo or even Yuki. I'm happy to see him back but I also can't help but see the consequences of it. Everyone is talking about how Daniel needs to do better than Yuki and I really don't think that's the case.

Imagine being Checo and being in the number two seat, but they've given the third driver all the people and resources who have previously extracted the best performance in from him. The third driver has got the one of the toughest team principal's belief in him. They are literally putting Daniel in the best circumstance to do well and I just don't believe they're doing that for Checo. I don't know how Checo can perform well when the team has literally put so many ressources into the third driver. They are giving so much care and consideration to Daniel, but who can say they're also doing this for Checo and Yuki? They sure as hell aren't vocal about it like they are with Daniel.

Look at the mythology of the tire test. 3 laps in he's on pace. One hour in Christian tells Helmut he's good and that he would have been front row...aka Checo was not. The next hour Helmut has fired Nyck and Daniel has a drive. This is despite differing conditions and tires. Like I'm sure Daniel did well, but I think it's also true they just wanted Daniel there and Nyck's performance was a convenient excuse.

I feel like the decision has been made to prepare and put Daniel in the RB seat and this whole song and dance at AT is just justification and engineering to put him there. It's about Daniel getting back to racing and conditioning himself for a RB seat. I think they have created a circumstance to put Checo in a situation where he performs badly because Checo knows he does not have the full support of the team and is pressured into these terrible situations. I will not be surprised if they make a switch during summer break or wait until winter.

On the Yuki side of things, I feel like he's not even a consideration for the future of RB. They have not talked about him as such. It feels like they've kept Yuki on the team purely to appease Honda and they don't really care what ends up happening to him because his future will be tied to Honda. So I really don't think how Daniel will compete next to Yuki will ultimately matter when the RB spin masters are at play and they all want Daniel in that RB seat. If they were really going to compare Yuki to Daniel, Yuki also would have done the tire test at Silverstone. He didnt. Yuki would literally have to beat Max before they think he's good enough for RB.

Daniel has been able to win people over on RB with his personality. It's one of his greatest strengths. They love him and are truly working for him. But I can't help but think about who they are not supporting.