Daniel Ricciardo is undoubtedly one of the most universally loved Formula 1 drivers. He’s almost impossible to dislike with his infectious smile and positive outlook. Which is why many fans were disappointed to hear he was leaving the grid at the end of 2022.
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Despite not being one of the 20 drivers on the grid this season, there has still been a lot of talk about the Aussie driver. Speculation has been rising about how, and with what team Danny Ric could make his official return to the sport.
Could Ricciardo Replace De Vries?
Rumours have been flying that the current Red Bull reserve driver would move to AlphaTauri to replace rookie Nyck De Vries. It’s been a tough entrance to the sport for De Vries, and Helmut Marko, an advisor to Red Bull, has spoken about his poor performance. It was reported that if De Vries didn’t improve quickly, he might be replaced midseason. However, with the AlphaTauri drivers improvements, and Marko pointing to the team’s pool of up and coming talent, it seems this might not be an easy seat for Ricciardo to take.
So where does this leave Ricciardo?
Ricciardo Hopes To Rejoin Red Bull Racing
The Aussie has opened up more and more about a potential return to F1. The former McLaren driver has made it clear that he is not finished with the sport yet, and he’s not ready for his F1 career to end.
In a recent interview with RaceFans he said “I don’t really care too much about legacy, but I feel like it’s not the way that I should go out and I feel like I can still give more. So if I get the right opportunity, of course I would love to do that.”
But if AlphaTauri is off the cards, where does he see his future in Formula 1? Unsurprisingly, Ricciardo has his eyes set on the team that’s leading the Constructors this year… Red Bull.
In a conversation with ESPN, Ricciardo said that returning to the grid in a Red Bull car would be a “fairytale” ending to his career.
“This for me would be like the fairytale. Honestly, the fairytale ending [would be] to finish my career here if I could have it all my own way.”
Is Perez At Risk Of Losing His Seat?
Securing a seat at any F1 team is a challenge, but trying to find a way into Red Bull feels almost impossible. Especially given Verstappen is under contract until 2028 and Perez’s contract runs until the end of the 2024 season. But in Formula 1, everyone knows a contract can be broken, and there have been rumblings that Perez might be in danger of losing his seat.
There is no actual proof of this at the moment, with both Team Principal, Christian Horner and Marko telling F1 insider that no truth to it.
”It’s all nonsense. Sergio’s place has never been in jeopardy and will never be in jeopardy”. He went on to say that Perez is “an important element in achieving the goals we have set for this year… We want to finish first and second in the Drivers’ championship and become Constructors’ World Champion as quickly as possible.”
Horner Claims Ricciardo Has His “Mojo” Back
Ricciardo seems to be aware of the obstacles he faces in order to return to Red Bull and has made it clear that he will “probably have to work my way up a little bit”.
Ricciardo implied he is considering other means of getting back in a Red Bull suit, including driving for AlphaTauri. This comes at interesting timing considering Yuki Tsunoda’s deal runs out at the end of this season. How likely it is that we will see Ricciardo in an AlphaTauri car in 2024 is yet to be seen.
But for now, he is staying close to the sport, and hosted The Grandstand with Daniel Ricciardo and Will Arnett on ESPN for the Canadian GP. During The Grandstand, he admitted that he is certain he can get back to his best driving form.
“I know I can come back as a more complete version of myself”.
It seems like Ricciardo’s attitude and simulator work for Red Bull is impressing Christian Horner who feels the Aussie has got his “mojo” back.
With everything so uncertain for Ricciardo at the moment, it could make for an interesting silly season. Especially if it involves conversations about his “fairytale” ending.
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