Daniel Ricciardo Was Reluctant to Leave His $2,000,000 Comfort Zone at Red Bull to Suit Up for AlphaTauri

Sabyasachi Biswas | 12/07/2023
“There Is Still Some Unfinished Business”- Daniel Ricciardo Hungry to Show Christian Horner and Helmut He’s Ready for Red Bull Return

The Daniel Ricciardo saga has finally come to an end after the recent reports of him joining AlphaTauri on loan from Red Bull. The Australian driver will replace Nyck de Vries in the process, a move he did not exactly want to make as he was reluctant to leave the $2,000,000 job he had at Milton-Keynes.

After back-to-back disappointments, deVries was under enormous pressure. Hence, the switch. Ricciardo, on the other hand being the reserve driver for Red Bull and having raced for the team [Toro Rosso] earlier was a plus point. Hence, the move makes sense for both parties.

Ricciardo, on the other hand was concerned. While a grand return to F1 is a dream opportuity considering all things, the Honey Badger was hesitant, but used the opportunity to make the most of it.

Daniel Ricciardo and his $2 million concerns

As per an F1 report, the Daniel Ricciardo wanted to join the sister team in 2024 in order to have a full season under his belt, whereas he is getting the rest of the 2023 season upon joining now. However, making the move made sense for him in the end.

This is because, he had risks of losing the seat to Liam Lawson, the Red Bull Junior driver. If Ricciardo would have denied the move and Lawson would have taken it up, things could have been difficult for the 34-year-old, given the New Zealander impressed the Red Bull top dogs with his performance.

Additionally, one of the main reasons for the reluctance was that he was earning a heavy $2 million salary from Red Bull for his role. Along with this, he would have received $4 million for the events. Banking on these, the former McLaren star was a bit hesitant, as he did not want to move away from his comfort zone.

Despite this, the eight-time GP winner decided to join AlphaTauri, a team that is currently at the bottom of the table. With just two points after 10 rounds of racing, Ricciardo would have to spin a miracle to impress.

Why did Ricciardo join backmarker AlphaTauri?

One of the main reasons why Daniel Ricciardo did not agree to stay on the grid despite having offers was his disinterest in smaller teams. Now, after the recent revelation, the Australian will ironically join a backmarker team.

Despite being the Red Bull B-team, AlphaTauri is miles apart from the championship leaders. At a time when RB-19 remains the most dominant car, the Italian team has failed to make a mark.

Nevertheless, this move carries the undertone that Ricciardo might pave his way back to Red Bull. Should he impress, it would only improve his chances of reuniting with Max Verstappen in the big leagues.

Post Edited By: Shreya Sanjeev
AlphaTauri Daniel Ricciardo Nyck de Vries Red Bull

About the author

Avatar photo

Sabyasachi Biswas

Sabyasachi Biswas is an F1 journalist at The SportsRush. With over one and a half decades of love for the sport and five years of experience in the field, he dreams to be a regular at the paddock when the lights go out. A Red Bull fan and F1 fan in general over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, and Max Verstappen dominate the track. Apart from F1, he's also a big-time Madridista and Federer fanatic. He was a sub-junior level footballer, won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak throughout, he tries different cuisines and learns new cultures whenever he's away from the keyboard.

Don’t miss these