Ever since he became an AlphaTauri driver, rumors of Daniel Ricciardo taking up a driving role at Red Bull caught massive wind. Playing a crucial role for the Faenza-based outfit both on and off the track, the Australian now stands as the top choice to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull, who, according to a report from the official website of Formula One, is on thin ice in the team and has one last chance to prove himself.
There is no shortage of options in the Red Bull drivers’ pool, given the team has Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and Liam Lawson as their immediate options should Perez fail to improve in the final year of his current contract. Christian Horner, who was one of the first people to have their faith restored in the Mexican last season, recently said the seat is Perez’s to lose.
“Do a good job – and improve significantly in qualifying where he struggled in 2023 – and the team has no reason to change.”
Meanwhile, with Ricciardo showcasing his incredible prowess, the opinion within the paddock states he is on the verge of replacing Perez should there be a call to change things within the Milton Keynes-based outfit. With AlphaTauri considered to be improving significantly this season, owing to valuable inputs from Red Bull, strong performances from a near-prime Ricciardo could make life even more difficult for Perez. The official F1 website said:
“That’ll give Red Bull a good kind of headache, as a 2018-spec Ricciardo might be too strong an option to turn down.”
2018 was an unfortunate year for a prime Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo’s final year with Red Bull saw him battling mechanical failures throughout the season, spoiling perhaps his most promising season with the team. He was a prime contender fighting for the world championship, having won two of the first six races of the season. The Australian showed glimpses of his high level in 2023 too, where he put in solid performances for AlphaTauri, even out-qualifying Perez in the Mexico City GP, further highlighting the Guadalajara-born driver’s struggles.
Often starting a race as the favorite to land a podium finish in 2018, Ricciardo‘s hopes would come tumbling down following frequent mechanical failures. As such, the Australian decided it was time for him to make a much-needed switch and call his time with Red Bull.
Now, Ricciardo is burning the midnight oil to ensure a return to a driving role with his past employers and drive a race-winning car. The famous return could make for a fairytale ending for Ricciardo’s career, as he would then be driving alongside Max Verstappen.
