A return to Red Bull Racing as third driver will allow Daniel Ricciardo to decide if he wants to continue as a grand prix racer.
Australian Formula One ace Daniel Ricciardo believes a grand prix gap year in 2023 will help him decide his future in motorsport.
Australia’s eight-time race winner could have had a place on the grid with the back-marker Haas team next season after losing his place at McLaren, but has decided instead to return to Red Bull Racing – where he did his best driving in Formula One – as the team’s ‘third driver’ behind two-time world champion Max Verstappen and Mexican Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez.
Ricciardo knows he is highly unlikely to race next year, even with rumours of a split between Perez and Verstappen over Red Bull’s team tactics this year, but said the break from the grand prix circuit will give him clarity on his future.
“That’s the beauty in next year . . . it’ll give that hard answer to what I really want,” Ricciardo told In The Fast Lane, the official podcast of the Australian Grand Prix.
Ricciardo has battled through four deeply unsatisfying years with Renault and McLaren since walking away from Red Bull Racing, and his stocks have dropped dramatically through 2022 as he was outpaced and out-raced by his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
Ricciardo scored a single win with McLaren, at Monza in Italy in 2021, and his best result with Renault was third place in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2022.
Ricciardo was pushed out of McLaren by another Australian when highly-rated rookie Oscar Piastri was lured away from Renault to partner Lando Norris in 2023.
Ricciardo was also linked to a third-driver role with Mercedes-AMG before confirming his return to Red Bull Racing after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he finished ninth in his last start with McLaren.
Ricciardo eventually decided he wanted to stay close to Formula One, but without racing, and chose a return to Red Bull.
He will do promotional and marketing events for the team, including demonstration runs in Formula One cars, as well as simulator testing. He will also be on stand-by if the team needs a replacement race driver for any reason.
“It was trying to find the best way to keep a foot in the door, be involved, but to give me that time off. Red Bull was always in the back of my mind,” Ricciardo told In The Fast Lane.
“I was like, ‘I don’t know definitely yet if I never want to race again or not, but I know next year, to jump into a race seat, is not the right thing for me’.”
Ricciardo has received a warm welcome back to Red Bull, even though team principal Christian Horner was strongly critical of his original decision to leave for Renault.
“They don’t owe me anything. I was probably a little surprised because they seemed as excited as me, and as soon as we started talking it was like ‘How does this not make sense?’,” Ricciardo said. “I’ve been racing in F1 for over 10 years now and it shouldn’t be that exciting, I guess . . . but it really was.”
Christian Horner said in an official team statement: “It is great to bring Daniel back into the Red Bull family. He has enormous talent and such a brilliant character.”
“In his role as test and third driver, Daniel will give us the chance to diversify, assisting in the development of the car, aiding the team with his experience and knowledge of what it takes to succeed in F1. We’re very pleased to be working with Daniel again and look forward to everything he will bring to the Team in 2023.”
Ricciardo is only committed for a single season with Red Bull, as he looks to rebuild his reputation and enthusiasm ahead of a potential return to racing in 2024.
“If an opportunity arises for 2024, I feel like I’ll be foaming at the mouth,” Ricciardo said.
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