Journalist claims Daniel Ricciardo would have started on the front row with his best lap from the Pirelli tire test

Daniel Ricciardo impressed everyone with his performance during Pirelli Tire Test at Silverstone after the British GP.

According to F1 journalist Lawrence Barretto, the Aussie's best time during the tire test would have been good enough for the front row in the main race on Sunday. Barretto said:

"Daniel Ricciardo's lap times in today's Pirelli test were so impressive, his best lap would've been good enough for the front row of the Grid in Sunday's British Grand Prix."

"Obviously, they were different track conditions, one a green track, the other without tyre blankets etc... But it's a super good sign, especially for the first time setting into the DB19, and Red Bull seem very confident in Daniel's capability."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was also impressed by Daniel Ricciardo's timings. He said, as per F1.com:

“It was great to see Daniel hasn’t lost any form while away from racing and that the strides he has been making in his sim sessions translate on track. His times during the tyre test were extremely competitive."

"It was a very impressive drive and we are excited to see what the rest of the season brings for Daniel on loan at Scuderia AlphaTauri.”

AlphaTauri boss welcomes Daniel Ricciardo back into the team

Franz Tost stated that he was happy that Daniel Ricciardo would be joining the team and replacing Nyck de Vries for the rest of the season with immediate effect. Tost said:

“I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team. There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straightforward."

“The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner. I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri and I wish him all the best for the future.”

The former McLaren driver will hope to be as competitive, if not more, than Yuki Tsunoda in one of the slowest cars on the grid in Hungary. This move could also have further repercussions for Tsunoda, Ricciardo, and Sergio Perez.

Red Bull might use the performances of all three drivers for the rest of the season to make a decision for the 2024 season regarding who partners with Max Verstappen. It will be interesting to see if Daniel Ricciardo can get another shot at a race-winning car.