Daniel Ricciardo will return to the Formula One grid, replacing Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri for the rest of the season, the team announced Tuesday.
It is delightful to witness that Daniel has maintained his remarkable form despite his absence from racing, His performance during the tire test was exceptionally competitive. It was a truly awe-inspiring drive, and we eagerly anticipate the unfolding of the remainder of the season for Daniel, as he embarks on his racing journey with Scuderia AlphaTauri
Red Bull, the Austrian beverage company, owns Red Bull Racing and Italy-based AlphaTauri.
Ricciardo, a highly accomplished Formula 1 driver with eight race victories to his name, had previously competed for the team now known as Toro Rosso in 2012 and 2013. During those years, the team operated under the name Toro Rosso. Following his time at Toro Rosso, Ricciardo moved up to Red Bull Racing and had his most successful seasons in 2014 and 2016. In both of those years, he secured third place in the drivers’ standings.
The 34-year-old Australian spent two seasons with Renault beginning in 2019 after winning seven of his eight career races with Red Bull. He then spent another two seasons with McLaren, where he won one race before relinquishing his seat at the end of 2022.
Ricciardo spent this season as Red Bull’s third driver, participating in testing and simulator work as Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez competed in Sunday races for Red Bull. Ricciardo wanted to return to the grid the following year.
He declared in a statement, “I am stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family!”
In the 2023 Formula One season, Nyck de Vries, a former Formula E, and Formula Two champion, joined AlphaTauri as one of their two full-time drivers. However, after 10 races, de Vries, along with Williams driver Logan Sargeant, has yet to earn a single point. This is in contrast to his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who has managed to secure two 10th-place finishes, earning the team’s only points so far.
De Vries’ performance this season has been underwhelming, with his best finish being 12th place at the Monaco Grand Prix. In the last two races, he finished 17th, further highlighting his struggles on the track.
Moreover, de Vries has faced criticism from Helmut Marko, who oversees Red Bull’s driver development program. Marko mentioned in an interview that he and Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner occasionally have disagreements about driver signings, and in the case of de Vries, Horner was not in favor of his selection. Marko suggested that, based on de Vries’ performance thus far, Horner’s skepticism may have been justified.
