Daniel Ricciardo, an Australian Formula One driver, surprised the racing world in July 2023 by joining AlphaTauri. He had previously raced for McLaren since 2019 but struggled to achieve the same level of success he had enjoyed during his five years at Red Bull.
Ricciardo’s move to AlphaTauri was seen as an opportunity to get back to winning ways. Although not as competitive as Red Bull or Mercedes, AlphaTauri is still capable of achieving podiums and even victories on occasion. Ricciardo made his debut for AlphaTauri at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he qualified and finished the race in 13th position.
When is Daniel Ricciardo going to return to F1?
On July 11, 2023, AlphaTauri announced that Daniel Ricciardo would be replacing Nyck de Vries as their driver, which surprised many as de Vries had only been with the team for one season. However, it was clear that de Vries hadn’t met expectations, and Red Bull was looking for a more experienced driver to replace him.
Ricciardo, a proven winner in Formula One with eight race victories to his name, had been struggling to find the same level of success at McLaren since joining the team in 2019 but was still considered a valuable asset.
Ricciardo’s move to AlphaTauri is a gamble for both him and the team. He is taking a pay cut to join the team and will be under pressure to perform pretty much from the get. Fans can expect to see Daniel back in the F1 circuits in the 2023 season.
Formula One analysts deemed Ricciardo’s comeback as “a real shame”
It is evident that AlphaTauri is not Ricciardo’s ultimate goal. He probably still desires to secure a full-time position in a top team, such as Red Bull, where he achieved his greatest successes.
Christian Horner, the boss of Red Bull, has voiced his expectations for Sergio Perez and suggested that Ricciardo should aim for Perez’s seat in 2025 when his contract ends. Ricciardo has expressed that returning to Red Bull would be a dream come true and a perfect way to end his career.
On this F1 commentator David Cross had this to say on the Skysports podcast “Is it a weird paradox that to be a successful driver pairing to Max, you have to accept that you’re number two, but to be the best driver, you never accept that you’re number two and you’re in it to win. Isn’t that like impossible?”
He mentioned that he is still puzzled about why Ricciardo decided to leave Red Bull. He emphasized that it would be disappointing if the Australian driver were to adopt a “No. 2 driver” mentality and end up in the same situation as before.
He said this to the listeners “Wouldn’t that be a real shame? If he did, there would have been absolutely no reason to have left Red Bull in the first place.”
What do you think about Red Bull’s second seat for Ricciardo? Do let us know in the comments!
