Nyck de Vries was lobbied by Max Verstappen himself in front of the Red Bull bosses to give him his one F1 opportunity, for which he has been waiting ever since he won his F2 championship in 2019. However, his rookie year in the sport has been nothing but underwhelming. So much so that his seat at AlphaTauri is under threat, and now Daniel Ricciardo landing in Faenza should worry the Dutchman.
In the first five races, Vries has brought no points back for his team. Whereas his teammate Yuki Tsunoda has been decent and, with much hard work, has managed to get two points.
Daniel Ricciardo is in Faenza the home of AlphaTauri Formula 1 team and he is not there for a vacation.
A possibility of switching Nyck De Vries with Danny Ric !? 👀 pic.twitter.com/eckMTq8hxM
— MenaGrandPrixEN (@MenaGrandPrixEn) May 10, 2023
But the Dutchman’s performances now keep him last in the table, which wouldn’t be acceptable to his bosses. Therefore, as per a report by AUTOMOTO from Italy, Ricciardo could replace Vries in the team, as the former Red Bull driver even passed a seat test at Faenza.
Daniel Ricciardo could say goodbye to his sabbatical
When McLaren axed Ricciardo at the end of the last season, he didn’t stop for offers from other teams as he wished not to be in a car in 2023. Instead, he planned on a sabbatical in which he wanted to do things he never got to do amidst the hectic F1 schedule.
In short, he wanted to stay away from an F1 car. However, a new development can change his entire decision, considering if Vries continues to perform like this, he can be axed by AlphaTauri in the middle of the season.
Daniel Ricciardo grabs the mini mic to answer some quick-fire questions 🎤⚡️ pic.twitter.com/uikemjyUJK
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) May 6, 2023
On the other hand, Ricciardo is currently the third driver at Red Bull. So, if his team decides to perform for their sister team, he’ll be obligated to do so. But surely, times are worrisome for Vries at the moment.
What about returning to the top?
When F1 visited Australia this year, Ricciardo was a big highlight, even though he wasn’t on the grid. Many asked about his possible return to the grid, and he said that he wants to be back with a top team and not with a side that only fights for single-digit points.
But AlphaTauri is the opposite of what Ricciardo wants. In fact, it could never topple Red Bull as the top side within their own fraternity; forget about it ever being a top three side.
So it remains to be seen whether Ricciardo would step back from his own words to ensure his F1 entry. Moreover, with AlphaTauri, he could pip himself to be the de-facto replacement to any driver that leaves Red Bull.
