Daniel Ricciardo, the eight-time Formula 1 race winner, will return to the grid with AlphaTauri at the Hungarian Grand Prix, replacing Nyck de Vries for the rest of the 2023 season.
Ricciardo, who started his F1 career with Toro Rosso in 2012, rejoined the Red Bull family as a reserve driver this year after leaving McLaren at the end of 2022. He completed his first test with the current Red Bull car on Tuesday and impressed with his pace.
“I am stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family!” Ricciardo said in a statement. “I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team,” Franz Tost, AlphaTauri Team Principal, added. “There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straight forward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner.”
Ricciardo will replace De Vries, who has been dismissed after a disappointing start to his F1 career with AlphaTauri. The Dutch driver, who made his debut with Williams last year, failed to score any points in 10 races and was outperformed by his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
AlphaTauri has struggled this season, scoring just two points in the Constructors Championship which places them in last through 10 races. Ricciardo will have a chance to revive the team’s fortunes and prove himself to Red Bull once again.
Ricciardo won seven races with Red Bull between 2014 and 2018, but left for Renault and then McLaren in search of a new challenge. He had a difficult time with McLaren in 2021 and 2022, scoring only one podium and finishing ninth and tenth in the drivers’ standings respectively.
Ricciardo will join Tsunoda at AlphaTauri from the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, July 23. It will be his first race since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2022.
