Ricciardo talks about his return to the Austrian stable: ‘Red Bull is the perfect place for me! What else did the Australian driver say?

After twelve seasons, Daniel Ricciardo finds himself without a seat for another year. However, he believes his absence from the sport is only temporary, and until he makes a potential return, he will be a reserve driver in his former stable.

When Ricciardo first joined Red Bull, he replaced compatriot Mark Webber at the team that won four titles in a row. He managed to beat four-time champion and teammate Sebastian Vettel by 71 points.

After four more relatively successful seasons, the Australian decided to take the next step in his career and left the Austrian stable for Renault.

After two years in the French stable, Ricciardo switched to McLaren where his performances plummeted.

He did manage a win at Monza in Italy, but it was his only significant result of the season, which he finished 45 points behind teammate Lando Norris.

A second year with the British team didn’t bring any improvement either, and McLaren decided to replace Ricciardo with Oscar Piastri, the 2021 F2 champion.

This information came after the halfway point of the season, leaving little time for the Australian driver to find a seat elsewhere. So he had to settle for the role of reserve driver – opting to return to Red Bull after all.

Ricciardo’s statement

“I spoke to Mercedes as well, but it never got to the stage where a contract was on the table. It didn‘t get that far,” Ricciardo told the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“But as soon as the negotiations with Red Bull started, it was like a light bulb went on and I realised that this is the only place for me, it’s perfect,” he realises.

Both of the Austrian team’s current drivers have also reacted positively to Ricciardo’s return to the team. “I spoke to them in Abu Dhabi when they heard from the team that I could come back. I think they’re excited about it too,” Ricciardo commented.

The Australian driver is also looking forward to working with the team and believes he has a lot to offer the stable. “I’m honestly happy to be back in this environment and to have the opportunity to help the team. You might think they don’t need help, after all they are dominant right now. But they are now the team with a huge target on their backs,” he concluded.

F1, Beyond the Grid