Daniel Ricciardo and his glorious Red Bull return was, sadly, too good to be true. Putting himself through the Red Bull revolving door again, hopes were at an all-time high of Ricciardo finally getting a second chance with his “family”; at “home”. But now all those fantasies could come crashing down as Ricciardo puts his neck on the line for something that may actually never happen.
It may have been a repressed thought, covered up by extreme optimism- Ricciardo replacing Sergio Perez, to return to Red Bull beside his mate Max Verstappen; it was a too pretty a picture to believe in. But many did. Maybe, even Ricciardo, who made it clear it would be the “fairytale ending” to his tumultuous career.
However, chasing this empty thought may cost Ricciardo everything. With Red Bull being an unforeseen dominant force, the price of that second seat is high. And should the team decide to sack the loyal Mexican, they would need someone who is better, and Perez has set the bar high.
Daniel Ricciardo makes a foolish decision
Two drivers from the Red Bull stable are being scrutinized for their underperformance. Daniel Ricciardo is in line to replace one of them, just not the one he wants. Owing to Nyck deVries‘ anti-climatic rookie season, Ricciardo might be forced to go back to square one, where he started: on the B-team.
While this might be a little insulting, it could be an offer Ricciardo is forced to take up. F1-Insider sources claim the deal has been done, Ricciardo will return to the grid after the summer break, just in an AlphaTauri.
Looking forward to returning home 😊 https://t.co/cT3yFUXBhz
— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) November 23, 2022
However, this comes at a heavy price. The team is currently last in the championship. Even signing with Haas would be a better scenario than this- an offer Ricciardo refused last season. The problem is Ricciardo has put all his eggs in one basket.
As reported by ESPN, “It is understood that Ricciardo has dropped any ambitions of racing elsewhere as he does not want to miss out on the opportunity to drive for the team likely to be the grid’s leading outfit for the foreseeable future.”
after a difficult double-header, we focus on the next round of back-to-back races 👊#BritishGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/VWHclBj1lw
— Visa Cash App RB F1 Team (@visacashapprb) July 10, 2023
Thus, the bad career choices streak continues. Having removed himself from other teams Ricciardo has left his fate in Red Bull’s hands. A dangerous move, considering the long list of suitors that trump Ricciardo’s hopes and dreams.
Red Bull ignores Ricciardo for better options
While AlphaTauri’s replacement is more or less confirmed, Sergio Perez’s seat still hangs by a thin thread. And while Ricciardo would have found his fairytale there, Red Bull is looking for another Prince Charming to write their own.
As Perez’s recent mistakes pile up against him, young guns like Lando Norris and Alex Albon continue to impress. While air-tight contracts make attaining these drivers difficult, Red Bull just needs to bring out their moneybags.
Max, Lando and Lewis were so excited to celebrate… that they forgot about the trophy 😂#BritishGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/D4ii9VXDDf
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 9, 2023
Albon’s return to Red Bull is less likely than Norris switching teams. While maintaining an impressive form with a sub-par car at the beginning of the season, his P2 result in Silverstone was the cherry on top of the Red Bull-themed cake. Surely, making Verstappen break a sweat means something.
And thus, Ricciardo is stuck. Not only could he end his career where it literally started, he might have ruined his chances of racing for any other team. However, should the AlphaTauri run impress the Milton Keynes Gods, would he be given a chance at redemption? Can’t hurt to dream, can it?
