Daniel Ricciardo delivers ray of hope for his F1 fans: "I might get behind the wheel"

Daniel Ricciardo hinted that he might be spotted by the fans behind the wheel of Red Bull's RB19 in the upcoming season of Formula 1, though not necessarily racing.

The Australian will be serving as the team's third driver (the reserve driver) and the duties of the reserve are usually not much related to racing. Ricciardo, in an interview with Sky Sports during the launch of Red Bull's RB19, their 2023 challenger, was asked if he will be driving the car at some point during the season. He stated that he 'might get behind the wheel'.

"Maybe a tire test or something. I might get behind the wheel."

After Daniel Ricciardo's contract with McLaren was terminated following the 2022 season, there were not many opportunities left for him, or at least for the ones he hoped for. This is because he preferred getting into a stronger team than downgrading.

After not having a permanent seat, Red Bull announced that they were recruiting him back into the team as a reserve driver. While this means that he will not have a sure shot of racing in any of the races, there is a good chance that he will get a chance to drive the car during a practice session.

The Sky Sports interviewer also stated that the Australian might have a chance of being an analyst with them.

"If he's (Ricciardo) not driving then maybe he can be on Sky Sports F1. I'm sure they'll love his analysis over the course of the year."

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Will Daniel Ricciardo get enough opportunities in his second stint with Red Bull?

Daniel Ricciardo was a part of Red Bull until after the 2018 season. Growing issues at that point in time with Max Verstappen made him leave the team to race with Renault. However, his career has not been so well since then. Returning to the Milton Keynes-based outfit can perhaps be a good move for his racing career.

He earlier stated that with the team, as a reserve driver, he will be getting a lot of work behind the simulator and during testing. The team has an appreciative pairing with Verstappen and Sergio Perez currently. So, it is hard to say if they will be looking for a change to give Ricciardo a second-driver status anytime soon.

However, Daniel Ricciardo could have a possibility of getting into a more competitive team if his performance with Red Bull (in testing sessions or perhaps a few chances to race) is impressive.