Daniel Ricciardo sets sights on 'dream' return to the wheel of a Red Bull
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Published 20/07/2023 at 20:47 GMT
Daniel Ricciardo is back in Formula 1 after signing a deal with AlphaTauri to replace Nyck de Vries for the remainder of the 2023 season. The Australian says he has fallen back in love with the sport again, admitting his aim is to compete at the top of the sport once more and targetting getting back behind the wheel of the Red Bull. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are the Red Bull drivers.
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Daniel Ricciardo is setting his sights on getting back behind the wheel of a Red Bull.
After four years with the team, Ricciardo departed at the end of the 2018 season for spells at Renault and McLaren.
After leaving the latter last year, it was announced that the Australian would return to Red Bull as the team’s third driver behind world champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
He was not expected to take part in a race in 2023 barring accidents, but that changed this month when Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri ditched Nyck de Vries and replaced him with Ricciardo.
His return to the F1 grid will add spice to the second half of the season, as the 34-year-old is keen to climb back up the ladder.
The AlphaTauri will not be challenging the Red Bulls, but positive showings will pile pressure on Perez who has struggled in recent weeks.
The pressure will only have increased after Ricciardo made it clear that his aim is to be back in the Red Bull.
"It’s kind of another chance to make things better,” he said. “I think that’s why I was excited to get back behind the wheel and just kind of show my true self. Even the thought of that excites me. Obviously the dream is a Red Bull seat. Of course that was my wish, but you need to be realistic, and if I want to get back into Red Bull it will be a process, and this is the best path for me at the moment.”
Ricciardo’s grid return will be at the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, and he is back in love with the sport.
“Six months ago I wasn’t in a place to jump at an opportunity like this,” he said. “But that’s been the luxury of time, I’ve fallen in love with it again and I feel like I’m being myself again, back in an environment that is giving me a lot of nostalgia.”
Ricciardo suggested the best place to state his case was on the track.
“There’s no real criteria at the moment,” he said. “But I need to show something, for sure, for next year and beyond, there’s no guarantees probably ever with this sport.”
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