Ricciardo makes shock F1 return, replaces De Vries at AlphaTauri

This sport sure keeps you on your toes, doesn’t it? Eight months into his racing sabbatical, Daniel Ricciardo has made a sensational return to F1, replacing Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri with immediate effect. Wow.

The Aussie decided to take a break from racing after being dropped by McLaren at the end of the 2022 season, initially saying he’d aim for a return in 2024 if his year off gave him the mental reset he needed following two bleak years as Lando Norris’s teammate.

Looks like it’s done the trick. Ricciardo’s combined putting his feet up with extensive simulator work as Red Bull’s reserve driver, and earlier this month boss Christian Horner said the eight-time race winner had “rediscovered his mojo”.

And despite downplaying the idea of Ricciardo making a return with sister team AlphaTauri, the team has decided to waste no more time by parachuting him into de Vries’s seat at the Hungarian Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.

“I’m stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family!” said Ricciardo, while AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost added: “I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team. There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straightforward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner.

"I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri and I wish him all the best for the future.”

The Dutchman - who impressed in a one-race cameo with Williams last season, after which he was signed by AlphaTauri - has struggled this year in comparison to teammate Yuki Tsunoda, failing to score a single championship point in what is admittedly one of the slowest (if not the slowest) car on the grid.

But Red Bull has always been a brutal employer (remember when it ditched Daniil Kvyat all those years ago?) and it’s clear the team has seen enough of the 28-year-old to end his F1 career just 10 races into the season. Ouch.

If Ricciardo is indeed back to his best, it also allows Red Bull to do two things: provide a proper benchmark for Tsunoda - who has shown glimpses of serious speed, but remains error-prone - and potentially provide a plan B to Sergio Perez, who has seriously underperformed lately.

When the news drops that you'll be back on the #F1 grid at the next race... pic.twitter.com/AaZipnFb6j

— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) July 11, 2023

Despite possessing the fastest car on the grid, the Mexican has failed to reach Q3 in qualifying for five consecutive races, and amassed just two podiums in the last six grands prix… all of which have been won by Max Verstappen.

Ricciardo last raced for AlphaTauri in 2013 when it was known as Toro Rosso, after which he was promoted to Red Bull, where he spent the next five seasons. Can he use the junior team to kickstart his career for a second time?