Daniel Ricciardo returns to Formula One in the midst of the season and surprises everyone. At AlphaTauri, he will be replacing the ailing Nyck de Vries.
Ricciardo ceased competing in 2023 after leaving McLaren with one year remaining on his contract. On July 23, he will return to the track for AlphaTauri at the Hungaroring in Hungary.
AlphaTauri made the decision after releasing de Vries after only 10 races this season. Ricciardo, who is presently Red Bull‘s reserve driver, will spend the remainder of the 2023 season “on loan” with Red Bull’s development squad, the team announced on Tuesday.
As Red Bull strives for a perfect Formula One season, Max Verstappen says, “I love going as fast as possible.”
According to the F1 website, the 34-year-old driver, who will race for AlphaTauri in Hungary on July 23, is “excited to be back on track with the Red Bull family.”
Welcome to Alpha Tauri
In 2012 and 2013, Ricciardo raced for Toro Rosso, now known as AlphaTauri. He was granted a position with Red Bull in 2014. He won seven races during his five years with the team, including the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix.
In 2019, Ricciardo chose Renault, the subject of the popular Netflix series “Drive to Survive.” Two years later, he joined McLaren, but a series of poor results led to his dismissal at the conclusion of his second season, a year before the end of his contract.
He returned to Red Bull for the 2023 season as the third driver. The door is now open for De Vries, the Dutch Formula E world champion, to return to the grid after he struggled in his debut F1 season.
The news also pleased AlphaTauri team leader Franz Tost. Tost stated, “I’m happy to have Daniel back on the team.”
“There’s no question that he knows how to drive, and he already knows many of us, so he’ll fit in easily. His expertise as a winner of eight Formula One Grands Prix will be of great assistance to the team.”
Ricciardo has invested considerable time in the simulator. Tuesday was his first time back in the car since leaving McLaren to tire testing for Pirelli at Silverstone.
“It’s great to see that Daniel hasn’t lost any speed while he’s been away from racing and that the progress he’s been making on the simulator translates to the track,” said Red Bull CEO Christian Horner.
“His tire testing times were exceptional. We are excited to see what the remainder of the season contains for Daniel at Scuderia AlphaTauri, where he is currently on loan.”
Alpha Tauri Sets to Rebrand and Even Closer Ties With Redbull
AlphaTauri intends to rebrand for the 2024 Formula One season and will collaborate more closely with Red Bull Racing.
Since 2005, Red Bull has owned the franchise. Prior to 2020, the company altered its name from Toro Rosso to AlphaTauri to emphasize its apparel business.
AlphaTauri used to be in the middle of the field in Formula One, but after new regulations were implemented in 2022, it dropped to the bottom and finished last season. AlphaTauri’s future appeared dubious after the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2012, but the current proprietors have ruled out selling the company and are prepared to rebuild it.
AlphaTauri’s factory is located in Faenza, Italy, but the company wants to relocate its UK headquarters, where its aviation team and vehicle performance firm are currently located, to a larger location in order to attract more top-tier professionals. It has outgrown its present facility in Bicester and desires to relocate in order to improve its performance and provide its employees with a more conducive working environment
