Red Bull reserve Daniel Ricciardo to return in an F1 car this year

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner claims Daniel Ricciardo will return to the grid in an F1 car later this year.

The Australian driver has been confirmed to take part in at least one free practice test later this year.

Ricciardo was once touted to be Red Bull's Golden Boy, a title that is now held by two-time world champion Max Verstappen. The Australian won seven races with the Austrian team before going to Renault and then McLaren, both of which failed to give him the desired results.

The 'Honey Badger' has now returned home to Red Bull, where he serves as a third driver to Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, helping them with extensive simulator testing. However, Christian Horner claims Daniel Ricciardo will return to an F1 car later this year.

Horner said before the 2023 Australian GP:

“His popularity in Formula 1… even though he’s not driving, he’s still probably the most popular driver here, and for us, it’s just positive to have him in the team, contributing to the team, to the drivers, to the engineering team."

"Hopefully he’ll rediscover his love for the sport. He’ll do a bit of testing for us later in the year and we’ll see how that how that goes for him. But I think it’s a different experience. He’s thrown himself [in] and [is] embracing this new role.”

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Daniel Ricciardo opens up about McLaren stint

In regards to his stint at McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo stated that his confidence suffered during the two-year period.

The Australian driver made the move to McLaren in 2021 after spending two years with Renault, taking over the position previously held by Carlos Sainz, who had joined Ferrari. Ricciardo initially performed well, earning sixth place in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but experienced several setbacks thereafter, despite a few positive outcomes along the way.

Although his victory at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix was a highlight, his time at McLaren was generally unsatisfactory, as he was outperformed in the drivers' standings by his younger teammate Lando Norris in both seasons.

Upon reflection, Daniel Ricciardo acknowledged his own responsibility for the difficulties he faced while with the team. He said (via Speedcafe):

“I’ll always take some responsibility or accountability. For many years, I truly believed I was the best, and I am the best in the world, so whatever the situation, I’ll be able to overcome it. And obviously with McLaren it was tough for me to do that."

With Sergio Perez's contract expiring at the end of the year, it will be interesting to see if the 'Honey Badger' can return to Red Bull as a full-time driver.