After wandering at Renault and McLaren for four years, it was a homecoming for Daniel Ricciardo in 2023. Red Bull welcomed him back to the family as their third driver. Nonetheless, the Aussie feels that he has been reborn after coming back to a team, where he made his F1 debut.
According to Formula Passion, Ricciardo commented on his comeback journey this year after the Abu Dhabi GP. He stated, “After the season I had, I feel like I am reborn and full of energy. Some saw the [Dutch GP] accident as a sign that I should stop, but it was never a setback for me.”
The 34-year-old completed his objective of coming back to Red Bull and found his mojo again. He then elaborated on how things have changed for him in terms of feeling the passion for F1 again from a year ago. His time at Red Bull also helped him get the call-up to AlphaTauri after an eight-month sabbatical.
Despite having an injury in Zandvoort, the eight-time F1 winner has performed decently in the races he competed. The wrist injury kept him away for four races until the US GP. Regardless, Ricciardo showed his class with an upgraded AlphaTauri AT04 in Mexico.
Daniel Ricciardo qualified P4 in Mexico!
He’ll start ahead of Sergio Perez in his home Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/nHh0V4qHE0
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) October 28, 2023
Qualifying in a stunning P4, the Aussie also got crucial points for the team as he finished a notable seventh in Mexico City. While Ricciardo also demonstrated decent pace in the other races, he unfortunately failed to score points.
Daniel Ricciardo eyeing up the coveted Red Bull seat
Ever since Daniel Ricciardo got back in the Red Bull scheme of things, he has been keen on getting a drive at the senior team. Describing it as the “fairytale ending” for his career, the Honey Badger knows there is a possibility of a full-time return to the Milton Keynes outfit.
The reason is Sergio Perez’s patchy and inconsistent performances. Perez has failed to consistently match Max Verstappen across the 2023 season. Qualifying has been his biggest Achilles’ heel, putting him on the back foot in several races. If this carries on, Ricciardo could indeed replace the Mexican.
Ricciardo’s purpose of agreeing to drive at AlphaTauri seemed implicit. He wished to be in a top car and the Red Bull setup could align the stars for him. Even though the Mexican driver has a set contract until 2024, things can change at the Austrian team quickly.
Thus, Perez needs to pull up his socks and try to be a better match-up for Verstappen next year. With Ricciardo in the wings, any similar mishaps like 2023 and Red Bull may show him the exit doors.
