Daniel Ricciardo brings much more than talent to his F1 return

The comeback marks the end of a eight month hiatus from a full-time seat for Ricciardo, who lost his drive at McLaren to promising youngster Oscar Piastri before rejoining Red Bull as a third driver — a move that could have been considered the unofficial end of the Honey Badger’s F1 career.

But with an apparent upturn in form and an underperforming De Vries, the energetic form of Ricciardo will once more be bounding back on to the grid, coming at just the right time to benefit not just AlphaTauri but F1 itself.

A Drive to Survive generation, awakened to F1 by the intense Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton rivalry didn’t sign up to Red Bull victories on repeat. For several months, there has been concern that the Dutchman’s dominance is dousing the fire of the series’ popularity.

Having won eight of the ten races so far this season and possessing a 99-point lead in the drivers’ standings, Verstappen could finish second for the rest of the year, and would still be guaranteed the title. He won’t, of course — a predictable stream of victories seems all but guaranteed.

Ricciardo then, one of the stand-out stars from Netflix’s docu-drama, is in a position to re-light the fuse, add a sub-plot to the season, and no doubt fill an episode or two of the next Drive to Survive series.

It could well be a compelling tale. His talent was once mentioned in the same breath as that of Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen himself, and he had a Red Bull at his disposal. His highlight-reel driving style meant he was an equal match for each, capturing eight grand prix victories, three pole positions and 32 career podiums – even finishing third in the 2014 drivers’ standings.

But in film-like fashion, he instigated his own downfall as he left a Red Bull team increasingly focused around Verstappen for a mediocre stint with Renault, followed by a disastrous two years at McLaren (Monza victory aside), where he never looked comfortable in a car that seemed to drain his self-confidence.

Now the scene is set for Daniel Ricciardo: the comeback. The trademark beaming smile was back at Silverstone, where a throng of fans showed that his popularity hasn’t dimmed at all. During his short stint as Red Bull’s third driver, the Aussie has acted more like a glorified F1 influencer than an actual tool of Red Bull performance – spending more time doing demo-runs and stage appearances than actual on-track testing.

While AlphaTauri is banking on that formidable talent hauling the team up from the depths of the constructors’ championship, F1 itself will be thankful that the Ricciardo buzz is set to give fans a new reason to tune in.

Speculation that it could pave the way for a return to Red Bull itself next year, does no harm at all to the narrative. What a way to continue the show!

Ricciardo’s route back into F1 has only been possible due to the underperformance of De Vries. Outside of a brilliant debut drive for Williams at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, the Dutchman has lagged behind to team-mate Yuki Tsunoda – both over one lap and during races. Alongside Logan Sargeant, De Vries is also the only driver yet to score a single championship point, with his highest finish coming in Monaco — qualifying 12th and finishing 12th. Ricciardo is likely to be a significant upgrade in AlphaTauri’s fight to rejoin the midfield fight.

Naturally the question will be asked whether this could be the same case at Red Bull. Much like de Vries, Sergio Perez has been made to look exceedingly average when compared to Verstappen and hasn’t helped matters by missing five consecutive Q3 sessions since his Q1 crash in Monaco. Both Horner and Helmut Marko have been adamant in their defence of the Mexican, continuing to state that his place is not under threat due to his raceday performance. But if Ricciardo shows even a slight indication of his former self, it’s hard to see a reason why Red Bull wouldn’t jump at the chance to put him back at the front of the field — it can’t always count on the dominance of 2023 where one star driver can comfortably secure titles almost single-handedly.

If there’s a revitalised driver available with the pace to win, a worldwide following, sponsor-friendly image, and newfound acceptance of his place in the Red Bull hierarchy, then why wouldn’t the team leap at the chance? Maybe there’s still a twist in this tale.