Red Bull F1 “open” to test Daniel Ricciardo as potential Sergio Perez replacement

Red Bull taskmaster Helmut Marko recently hinted that Daniel Ricciardo will essentially be tested by the team as a potential replacement driver.

The Australian, who is working as a reserve driver in the Austrian-British team, will take part in a three-day Pirelli tire test, where he will drive a Red Bull RB19 and discuss his and the tire's performance in Silverstone.

Speaking to ORF, Dr. Marko explained how Daniel Ricciardo will be taking a three-day Pirelli test. However, the team will also test where the Australian driver stands in terms of pace. He said:

“After Silverstone, we will have Ricciardo in the car for three days at a Pirelli tyre test. And there we can evaluate: Where really [in terms of pace] is Ricciardo?”

Red Bull's advisor also spoke about Sergio Perez and how he initially planned to stay with the team for only two or three years. Marko went on to state that the team needs to keep certain options open if and when Perez is either removed or he himself leaves the team for good. He concluded:

“His initial goal was two or three years. That would be more than he planned anyway. You just have to keep the options open for the successor.”

There has been much speculation about Sergio Perez's future and his potential replacements at Red Bull, one of them being Daniel Ricciardo. The Mexican's dip in performance after the Miami GP is not helping him keep up with reigning world champion Max Verstappen.

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Daniel Ricciardo talks about his 'fairytale' ending to his F1 career

Red Bull reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo recently outlined what his dream career move will be before he ends his F1 career for good.

Speaking to ESPN, the smiling Honey Badger explained how he would love to drive for the Austrian-British team once again and end his career with them. However, he is well aware that he needs to once again prove his worth at the Red Bull camp.

Ricciardo said:

"This for me would be like the fairytale. Honestly, the fairytale ending [would be] to finish my career here if I could have it all my own way. But we'll see. I'll probably have to work my way up a little bit but it's really nice to be back here."

Apart from replacing Sergio Perez at Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo could have a bigger chance of going to AlphaTauri, Red Bull's sister team, to replace Nyck de Vries, who is struggling in the 2023 F1 season as a rookie.