Red Bull U-turn on Daniel Ricciardo comes to light as Helmut Marko plan clear
Red Bull’s return for Daniel Ricciardo has been revealed as Helmut Marko’s plans become clear.
Daniel Ricciardo replaced Nick de Vries at AlphaTauri for ten races in the 2023 season and will continue to race for sister team Red Bull in 2024. This will be a great joy for Helmut Marko.
Daniel Ricciardo will also race for AlfaTauri in 2024.
AlphaTauri CEO Peter Bayer has admitted that Red Bull originally planned to block Daniel Ricciardo from racing for the sister team last year.
But of course the turning point came after the Silverstone test last July. He has shown enough pace to convince Red Bull’s decision-makers that he is the right man to replace struggling Nick de Vries 10 games into the season.
Previously, according to Bayer, Red Bull objected to potential drivers competing. “When I started, I always looked at myself and thought, ‘If Nick de Vries doesn’t make it in terms of performance, Daniel will be the perfect solution for us,'” he told Motorsport Magazine.
\”Why? Daniel has the experience to help us set all directions. Daniel is the actual reference of Yuki [Tsunoda]. He brought new energy to the team during the week.
“Our engineers were excited, ‘Wow, something’s happening!’ The transition was not easy, but in the end it had a positive impact. Originally it read: “No, Daniel is and will remain Red Bull’s reserve driver.”
“Within a month I asked how things were going. At one point, Christian Horner came to us and said: “We’re testing at Silverstone. I’d like to take a look.” And Helmut [Marco]: — Yes, why not?
Marko is an experienced advisor to the Red Bull team and is responsible for driver development. If young racers want the opportunity to break into Formula 1 in this way, he is someone who can impress.
This post contains affiliate links, which may result in me receiving a commission for sales. Find out more
Watch F1 Live
The next 12 months look set to be the same for Ricardo. The Australian has made no secret of his desire to not only regain his place on the AlfaTauri grid, but also to regain his former Red Bull seat if possible. Bayer explained that while the committee is in session, Marco remains the final say on the drivers. “Everyone is actually sitting at the same table,” he added. “Obviously [Red Bull project director] Oliver Mintzlaff and [retired AlfaTauri team principal] Franz Tost played a leading role, but Christian Horner was also at the table at one point. In the end, Helmut Marko made the decision and will continue to do so.”
