Daniel Ricciardo had a clear goal in mind when he re-signed for Red Bull as their third driver at the beginning of this season. Since his two-year spell at McLaren did not go to plan, he wanted to return to a place that could help him regain his confidence and provide him with an opportunity to return to the top. The 34-year-old had his first assignment at the Silverstone tests earlier this year. On that occasion, Ricciardo revealed that he was only “a few hundredths away” from Max Verstappen‘s pole time.
Speaking of his tests, Ricciardo said (as quoted by formulapassion.it), “In the first run I spun twice. I did about eight laps and returned to the pits. Then we put on new tires and put the fuel in the car that we usually put for PL2s. I don’t want to romanticize the story, but the first timed lap I did was perfect. I was a few hundredths away from Max’s pole time“.
It was this test of Ricciardo that convinced Red Bull to give him an opportunity at AlphaTauri. Since Ricciardo’s return to the grid coincides with a time when Sergio Perez has been struggling at Red Bull, there are rumors that the Milton Keynes outfit could replace the Mexican with the Australian in the future.
Daniel Ricciardo has had an impressive return so far
After two disastrous seasons with McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo finally seems to have rediscovered his old form with AlphaTauri. The Honey Badger not only clinched a few points this season but also impressed during the Mexico City GP qualifying session when he registered the fourth fastest time.
Since the 34-year-old has been so impressive, he has also earned the praises of his bosses. AlphaTauri has showcased their faith in Ricciardo by revealing him as their driver even for the 2024 season.
As for Ricciardo, his mission is clear. He wants to try his best to deliver the best performances he can with AlphaTauri next year to prove that he still deserves an opportunity at the main Red Bull team.
While Sergio Perez has a contract until the end of the 2024 season, there is a slight possibility that Ricciardo could get that seat earlier than then if the Mexican continues to underperform. However, in order for such a scenario to take place, Ricciardo would also need to prove that he is deserving of the opportunity.
Considering that Ricciardo only got his opportunity this year during the second half of the campaign, he seems to have done the best he could. He finished the campaign with six points, with a best finish of seventh that he clinched at the Mexico City GP.
