Daniel Ricciardo Lands in Faenza to Threaten Nyck de Vries’ ‘Once in Lifetime’ F1 Opportunity

Tanish Chachra | 11/05/2023
Daniel Ricciardo Lands in Faenza to Threaten Nyck de Vries' 'Once in Lifetime' F1 Opportunity

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.

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.

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.

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
AlphaTauri Daniel Ricciardo Nyck de Vries Red Bull

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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