Daniel Ricciardo had a surprising return to Formula 1 in 2023 as he was supposed to be on a sabbatical. However, ahead of 2024, his primary aim would now be to aim for the Red Bull seat to fulfill his dreams. And in the process, he has vowed, as per Speedcafe, to “turn some heads around.”
“I will expect me to do things like I did in Mexico and turn some heads, and have people saying ‘Oh, he’s still got it,’ because I believe I can,” said Ricciardo.
AlphaTauri is not a team that anyone would have expected will have Ricciardo as one of their drivers. However, the team made a shock move for him after they sacked Nyck de Vries even before the summer break. Obviously, Ricciardo would now aim to return to the main Red Bull team.
Currently, Red Bull has the best car. And Ricciardo, who still aims to see himself at the pinnacle of F1 would want that to happen. The good news for him is that Sergio Perez has also seen some instability this season after he even failed to score half of the points scored by Verstappen in 2023.
Max Verstappen vs Daniel Ricciardo 2017-18 ⚔️
Race Pace : VER -0.154%
Qualifying Pace : VER -0.161%
Race H2H : VER 18-9 RIC
Quali H2H : VER 23-12 RIC pic.twitter.com/3PNfnGAUTY— Udi (@FormulaPace) December 26, 2023
Right now, Red Bull has decided to continue with him, but once they want to upgrade over their current driving options, then Ricciardo could be a replacement candidate. However, the issue is that apart from Mexico, Ricciardo hasn’t managed to shine in 2023.
At the same time, it is also pertinent to note that he got injured in Zandvoort. Had that not happened, he could have had more chances to declare that he has still got it. But 2024 is the season where it’s a make-or-break for him.
It’s not all so easy for Daniel Ricciardo
Apart from rising up in the grid, i.e., going from AlphaTauri to Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo also has to worry about the rising threats from below. In his absence, Liam Lawson replaced the Aussie race driver. The young Red Bull academy graduate certainly impressed not only Red Bull but others too.
Since he managed to catch some significant attention, Red Bull bosses would want to guarantee him some future. However, as of now, he has been settled as a reserve driver. Yet, learning from Oscar Piastri’s saga, Red Bull knows they can’t delay much.
I want to see Liam Lawson in the grid pic.twitter.com/PH7YoYS5yz
— ♀️ (@FluttershyIuna) December 25, 2023
Therefore, it’s a musical chair among four drivers for the three spots under the Red Bull-powered teams. The least impressive person is likely to get the kick, and that could help the New Zealander get the seat at AlphaTauri. So, Ricciardo, in the aim of stars also needs to worry about his ground.
Moreover, there could be even more complications if Red Bull decides to go for a superstar driver in Lando Norris or Charles Leclerc. However, such a situation is unlikely to happen as Red Bull will not want a top driver to partner with Verstappen. Irrespective of what decision Red Bull makes, they could easily trigger a mighty silly season.
