The Honey Badger has returned to the Formula One grid.
Daniel Ricciardo’s comeback to Formula One has long been rumoured, nearly since he was named Red Bull’s reserve driver for the 2023 season. However, on Tuesday, it was confirmed that he will be replacing struggling rookie Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri for the next race, the Hungarian Grand Prix.
While early rumours suggested that Ricciardo may take up the seat in the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer break, the news that Ricciardo was returning with immediate effect came as a surprise.
“It was great to see Daniel hasn’t lost any form while away from racing and that the strides he’s been making in his SIM sessions translate on track,” Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner said in announcing the change. His tyre test times were quite competitive. It was an excellent drive, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the rest of the season holds for Daniel on loan at Scuderia AlphaTauri.”
Ricciardo, on the other hand, kept things simple.
“I’m thrilled to be back with the Red Bull family!”
So the question is, why the rapid change?
De Vries, a Formula 2 and Formula E winner, received a season deal after making his F1 debut for Williams at the Italian Grand Prix last year, where he stood in for the injured Alex Albon and gained points.
However, he has been unable to match that level of performance in 2023.
The deal reunites Ricciardo with the Toro Rosso squad he raced with in 2012 and 2013.
His outstanding achievements won him a move to Red Bull for 2014, when he had a breakout season with three F1 victories.