Daniel Ricciardo move won't be Red Bull's final involvement in F1 'silly season'

13 July 2023 , 06:00

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Daniel Ricciardo is back on the F1 grid... but for how long? (Image: Getty Images)

Bona fide Formula 1 driver move rumours have been difficult to come by so far this year, barring the one that just happened.

Nyck de Vries was given the boot by Helmut Marko on Tuesday after just 10 races with AlphaTauri. He didn't score a single point during that time but, considering he had arguably the worst car on the grid at his disposal, some still feel it was a harsh decision.

Slightly more surprising was the announcement of Daniel Ricciardo as his replacement. The Aussie may have been gunning for a return to the F1 grid, but neither he nor anyone else in the paddock expected it to be so soon.

But that's the situation. He now has 12 races between now and the end of this season to prove that the watered-down version of Ricciardo we last saw racing in F1, at McLaren, is not his permanent form.

After all, he has bigger fish to fry. Christian Horner may be adamant that there are no plans for the Aussie to return to Red Bull Racing as a full-time driver in place of the struggling Sergio Perez, but there's no way on earth Ricciardo sees it that way.

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He's not interested in meandering around at the back of the grid. Even at 34, he whole-heartedly believes he is capable of winning more races and competing for the world title. He will want to do that with Red Bull, but it's hard to see him getting that chance.

For all of Perez's struggles of late – five consecutive races started outside the top 10 and only one podium finish in that period – his place alongside Max Verstappen remains safe. The Mexican's season would have to take a dramatic turn for the worse from here for the team to really consider axing him before his contract ends in 2024.

Barring any catastrophes, Sergio Perez's Red Bull place should be safe for 2024 (Getty Images)

And so, it will be interesting to see what happens between now and December. After all, while Ricciardo is in at AlphaTauri as a stop-gap, there are no indications right now that the seat will be his beyond the 12 races for which he has been 'loaned' out by Red Bull.

So what will AlphaTauri's driver line-up look like in 2024 – in what will be a new era for the team? There's a chance Ricciardo could make up one-half of it, but that would go against the team's long-standing philosophy of fielding young drivers who graduate from the Red Bull young driver programme.

First of all, there is Yuki Tsunoda's future to sort out. While the Japanese racer might have been a tad lucky to have earned a third season in F1, he has made the most of it so far with some excellent performances despite his terrible car, and Marko is very pleased with his progress.

A contract renewal for Tsunoda looks to be a near-certainty at this point, but his longer-term future is less clear. Outgoing AlphaTauri chief Franz Tost recently said he will be ready to make the jump up to Red Bull for the 2025 season, which could make him the successor to Perez at the end of his contract.

If that is potentially on the cards, then it will be interesting to see what the dynamic between Tsunoda and Ricciardo is like, given they are both gunning for that same seat. The celebrated veteran on his road to redemption up against the young hotshot earning admirers far and wide.

Assuming Tsunoda does remain in situ for 2024, there are strong suggestions that his team-mate might be another F1 rookie in the form of Liam Lawson. Some fans on social media have even suggested that Red Bull have made the wrong choice by parachuting in Ricciardo rather than the New Zealander.

Liam Lawson may make his F1 bow with AlphaTauri next year (AP)

But there is a reason why Lawson has not been disturbed. He is in a title fight in the Japanese Super Formula championship and the feeling is that it will be better for his development if he is allowed to see out the season.

Whether it be next season or the one after, it looks more and more likely as though the 21-year-old will get his F1 shot. Formula 2 driver Ayumu Iwasa is another potential option and it would be attractive for outgoing engine partners Honda to have an all-Japanese line-up, but the feeling at the moment is that Lawson is ahead in the queue.

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Nothing is decided beyond the end of this season at AlphaTauri – a rare thing on the F1 grid this year. And that means this move to oust De Vries and bring in Ricciardo is only the start of the speculation that is to come surrounding their race seats in the coming months.

Daniel Moxon