Red Bull F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo To Return To F1 Car Earlier Than Expected
Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo is due to get back into the seat of an F1 car for the upcoming British Grand Prix.
The Red Bull third driver revealed during an interview with ESPN that he would be in the seat of the RB19 to perform a Pirelli test after the race at Silverstone and that he hopes to also get back in the car in Monza. He explained:
"I have been in the simulator a lot lately, but in July I get to be in the car again.
"Maybe I'll also get one at Monza."
McLaren announced during the 2022 season that they were parting ways with Ricciardo at the end of the year after a two-year stint with the Papaya team. As time progressed throughout the remainder of the season it became apparent that the Australian driver was struggling to secure another permanent seat for 2023.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has previously revealed that he had tried to sign Ricciardo, however the American team were unable to afford him so signed Nico Hulkenberg instead.
Red Bull then confirmed at the end of the 2022 season that they had signed the Aussie as their third driver for 2023, bringing him back to the team that he had driven for between 2014 and 2018.
Ricciardo has already expressed his interest in returning to a permanent seat for 2023, however, has said that he would only be interested in a "competitive" seat which makes things a bit more tricky as the majority of drivers are in long-term contracts.