UNITED KINGDOM: Daniel Ricciardo made his first official return to Red Bull Racing at the team’s Friday 2023 livery launch event in New York.
The event also announced Red Bull’s impending engine partnership with Ford, adding further excitement to the upcoming F1 season.
Daniel Ricciardo confirmed he would be participating in a series of tyre tests for the team later in the year, although his primary focus, for now, will be simulator work.
The Australian driver will not appear in practise sessions during the 2023 season, which is estimated to be around half of the 23-race calendar.
The first event that Daniel Ricciardo is scheduled to attend this season will be his home race in Australia.
Daniel Ricciardo’s efforts in the Red Bull simulator during Bahrain and Saudi Arabia weekends are expected to be of great value to his teammates.
Max Verstappen raced alongside Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull between 2016 and 2018 and praised the Australian driver’s professionalism and positive attitude.
The defending F1 champion expressed his delight at having Ricciardo back on the team and how he will be a valuable asset in the factory and on race weekends due to his wealth of experience in Formula 1 and being a race winner.
Perez echoed Verstappen’s sentiment, stating that Red Bull is fortunate to have Ricciardo back with the experience he brings. He believes Ricciardo’s presence will significantly help, especially during race weekends.
Perez remained modest when asked about the added pressure of having Ricciardo back on the team and potentially being Verstappen’s teammate beyond his current 2024-ending contract.
Perez replied that performance is the only factor that matters at Red Bull Racing, and the team can pick any driver they want from the grid.
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