When Is Daniel Ricciardo Coming Back?

Daniel Ricciardo fans. We know watching Ricciardo sit on the sidelines, doing engineering work, when he has a full-time seat in Formula 1 is agonizing. Probably just as much as it pained you to see him fracture his hand in Zandvoort. Probably as much as the fracture hurt him. But know that just as Red Bull’s seemingly never-ending winning streak ended, so will yours and Ricciardo’s suffering. But brace for (hopefully) one last blow. It might take the Honey Badger longer than expected to return.

After two horror-filled years at McLaren, followed by six months on the sidelines with Red Bull, Ricciardo knew he was ready to come back. When AlphaTauri gave him the go, he didn’t think twice before jumping in, ready to prove himself again. While he tackled the two races before the summer break reasonably well, the Dutch GP has other plans for him. The plans included breaking his hand and writing him off for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, that foreseeable future is ongoing. It begs the question: When will he finally be back?

Daniel Ricciardo could first be a cowboy before returning to his F1 driver self

Ricciardo broke his hand on August 25th during FP2. By FP3 on Saturday, AlphaTauri already had a replacement—21-year-old Liam Lawson. As the rookie shone on track, Ricciardo headed to the hospital for surgery. By Monday, he was all Terminator-esqe with a metal plate inside his hand. Since he’s been recovering, people around him, including Christian Horner, hoped he’d be back by the Qatar GP in two weeks. Well, that might not be the case.

In the build-up to the Japanese GP,  AlphaTauri head of trackside engineering Jonathan Eddolls talked about Ricciardo’s expected return. As reported by The Race, he said, “The recovery is going well. From our side and his side, there’s no rush to get him back too early. The worst thing would be to come back before it is properly healed and cause any issues.” Considering Lawson is also doing a great job, AlphaTauri isn’t desperate for Ricciardo’s experienced services at the moment. Eddolls also revealed they have a simulator session planned for the Aussie before Qatar.

“The simulator’s a very good representation of the car, all of the loads, etc. The final decision is more than likely going to come from him rather than from us. He will know better than anyone how’s the pain,” added Eddolls. While Oatar was what everyone expected, the US GP is a more likely return venue. With how much Ricciardo loves to embrace the Austin culture, it’s safe to assume that, if he does return in late October, it’s first going to be as a cowboy and then an F1 driver. There’s one thing that can’t be ignored, though. If Ricciardo is extending his time away from F1, is it ruining his chances for 2024?

Read More: “Damaged” Goods Daniel Ricciardo Labeled Incapable of Beating Max Verstappen Over 1 Full Championship Season

Will Daniel Ricciardo be in F1 in 2024?

Since Liam Lawson took over driver duties temporarily for Ricciardo, he’s been doing a commendable job. At the Singapore GP—his first time navigating Marina Bay—he was the best-placed Red Bull driver for the race. He out-qualified Max Verstappen with his AlphaTauri. He then converted his first Q3 appearance to Alpha’s best points-finish of the season. Following the weekend, F1 journalist Peter Windsor even called the New Zealander a faster driver than Ricciardo. Considering all this, could Ricciardo’s seat be under threat?

Well, it looks like it’s not. At the Japanese GP, sources told ESPN, “Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will stay with AlphaTauri in 2024.” Although there’s no proper confirmation, it’s all but set in stone. But just because Ricciardo’s future in 2024 is safe for now doesn’t mean Lawson isn’t gunning for his seat. The rookie told Motorsport, “I wouldn’t be happy to go back to being a reserve, but obviously, I know how hard it is to get into Formula 1. I want to be in Formula 1. Now I have this chance. I’m trying to do everything I can to show that I can be here.”

Do you think Daniel Ricciardo will be back in Qatar? Or will Liam Lawson get another chance to convince AlphaTauri of his talent?

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