“Fairytale” Ending Looks Like a Distant Dream for Daniel Ricciardo After Backup Choice Also Faces Major Stumbling Block

Have you ever wondered if Formula 1 drivers could lose their love for the sport? Because that’s what happened to Daniel Ricciardo. After getting tired of being Red Bull’s second driver to Max Verstappen, he left the team to join Renault (now Alpine) in 2019. But when McLaren offered him a drive in 2021, he believed that was the right move for him. Though after two years of consistently being outperformed by Lando Norris and then losing his seat a year before his contract expired, he lost his way.

But he seems to have found it now. At the end of 2022, he decided to return to Red Bull—the team that made him the driver he is—as its reserve driver. And when he was asked if he had any plans of returning to racing, he said, “the fairytale ending [would be] to finish my career here [at Red Bull] if I could have it all my own way.” While his fairytale looks a little unlikely, another opportunity that could lead him there opened up recently, only for it to become another barrier between him and his dream.

Daniel Ricciardo’s dwindling F1 hopes

Daniel Ricciardo’s homecoming to Red Bull isn’t going as he intended. When he joined the team—after declining an offer from Haas for 2023—he thought it would be a step toward returning to the second seat in Red Bull. And with Sergio Perez’s recent bad form, his hopes of securing the seat were increasing, only for Helmut Marko and Christian Horner to say that they have no intention of replacing Perez.

But his hopes were given a new lease of life when Marko announced that Ricciardo was in contention for a seat at AlphaTauri. Although a downgrade, the Australian feels that driving for Alpha would be better than driving for Haas or Williams because he would still be on the path to that Red Bull seat, considering Alpha is its sister team. When he gets his chance to drive the RB19 at Silverstone for Pirelli’s tire test, Red Bull will analyze his performance to see if he’s still fit for F1.

Although this path has been met with another stumbling block. Ricciardo is a veteran. AlphaTauri is a team for junior drivers. Do you see how those two don’t add up? Red Bull juniors Liam Lawson and Ayumu Iwasa are also contending against Daniel for the seat. According to roadandtrack.com, “While Lawson and Iwasa would fill that role, the 33-year-old Ricciardo would be the most strange hire in the history of the program.”

Read More: Daniel Ricciardo Reveals Juicy Contract Details Around His Potential Red Bull F1 Seat

Considering all of them are most likely competing for Nyck De Vries’ seat—who hasn’t been having a spectacular season—it’s only been eight races so far. If he improves throughout the season, he could retain his seat. But if he doesn’t, three others are waiting in line. But Lawson might already have a headstart on Ricciardo.

Liam Lawson could replace De Vries mid-season

Since the start of the season, De Vries has struggled to keep up with his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda. Although he is on a two-year contract, there have been speculations that he’ll be replaced at the end of the season. But that end might come sooner for De Vries.

Red Bull is notorious for replacing drivers in their seats midway through the season. It did it with Daniil Kvyat and with Pierre Gasly. And it might do it again. But this time, it’ll be in the Alpha Tauri seat. Having already impressed both teams with his performances during practice sessions and tests last year, Lawson could replace De Vries sooner than expected if the Dutchman doesn’t start improving soon. 

Can Daniel Ricciardo make his way back to Red Bull?

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