Why Ricciardo Chose a Reserve Role at Red Bull Instead of a Race Seat for Next Year

There is more to this decision than what was declared, and we jumped into the deep to give you all the pieces of information. After all, Red Bull has been quick to play down the prospect of Ricciardo being an option for a race seat, but we know Daniel only wanted to make a deal that helps him return to the Formula 1 grid for the 2024 season.

For the moment, what we know is that Daniel is set in an off-track role with Red Bull as a third/reserve driver. Dr. Helmut Marko, a key figure in the Red Bull Motorsport department, announced the fact that the Australian driver would return to the energy drink brand before any contract was signed. It's no secret that Daniel ended his multi-year contract with McLaren a year earlier to make space for Oscar Piastri, so many teams were interested in his services.

Ricciardo refused to accept a race seat at lower-rated teams such as Williams or Haas for 2023, preferring to step away from racing for a period to straighten his mind after a difficult and demoralizing stint with McLaren. He wants to return to a top team, but this will be very hard. How many drivers returned to elite tier teams after stepping away from F1? Not too many.

The Australian driver is believed to have had some discussions with Mercedes but settled on a return to the team that gave him his superstar role in F1 back in 2014 and seven out of his eight Grand Prix wins. In addition, he will receive some sort of special treatment because he will not attend all the races on the calendar. Instead, he will take part in testing on just a couple of Grand Prix weekends, letting the younger ones do the rest of the work. However, it won't be only superficial jobs. Daniel Ricciardo is set to conduct some simulator work for Red Bull to be prepared to drive if the team actually needs to use him for any given reasons.

Even if, on the surface, the fact that Ricciardo chose such a reserve role instead of an actual seat on the grid for the 2023 Formula 1 season seems a little odd, the Austrian team believes the current form of Daniel is just a weird phase. There were a lot of times when Red Bull's team manager Christian Horner was amazed and shocked (in a wrong way) by the Australian results and driving. He always said that Daniel was way better than he was actually showing.

"It is great to bring Daniel back in to the Red Bull family. He has enormous talent and such a brilliant character; I know the whole factory is excited to be welcoming him home. In his role as test and third driver, Daniel will give us the chance to diversify, assisting in the development of the car, aiding the team with his experience and knowledge of what it takes to succeed in F1. We're very pleased to be working with Daniel again and look forward to everything he will bring to the Team in 2023," declared Christian Horner in the official press release. The energy drink company believes that if Daniel is placed in the right car and environment, he will return to the high-quality driver he was before the McLaren dark era.

Well, that will be definitely great, and all the other teams on the grid will be watching closely next year for positive signs that he can go back to the 'old Ricciardo version.' However, it might be hard to spot all those signs from a distance, especially if his time with modern F1 cars is limited or non-existent.

From a marketing standpoint, this move was a significant and good move for Red Bull. Both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko are conscious that Daniel is still one of the biggest names and characters in Formula 1. For example, just imagine if Red Bull will place Daniel Ricciardo for most of their demonstrations and activities off the track. He will bring an incredible boost to this side of the business. In addition, being involved with an elite-tier team should keep Ricciardo sharp, motivated, and concentrated. As a result, there are a lot of positives to this decision. If he were to go on a team like Haas and Williams, his demoralizing state of mind would have gotten even worse.

"The smile says it all, I'm truly excited to be coming back home to Oracle Red Bull Racing as their Third Driver in 2023. I already have so many fond memories of my time here, but the welcome from Christian, Dr Marko and the entire team is something I'm sincerely appreciative of," declared the Australian driver. "For me personally, the ability to contribute to and be surrounded by the best team in F1 is hugely appealing, whilst also giving me some time to recharge and refocus. I can't wait to be with the team and support with simulator work, testing sessions and commercial activities. Let's go!"

The most critical question on everyone's mind is whether Daniel has a chance of a race seat in the Austrian squad by replacing Sergio Perez when he rejoins his home team. However, before 2025, there is no availability at Red Bull, and replacing Max Verstappen seems more than impossible. The only way for Ricciardo to race for Red Bull would be for either the two-time world champion or Sergio Perez to be pushed away.

Daniel is exceptionally concentrated on whatever he does in 2023, with the aim of getting him in the best position to return to F1 in 2024. That doesn't necessarily have to be with Red Bull, and maybe that's not even his goal. And while Christian Horner tried to rule Daniel out of a future race seat, the Australian driver didn't deny that. And that possibility it's even bigger now.

Internal tensions are growing now inside the Austrian team over Sergio Perez allegedly crashing intentionally during the last qualifying session of the Monaco Grand Prix. After that, Max Verstappen refused to listen to team orders and refused to help Sergio Perez. Apparently, this was retribution for that incident around the streets of Monte Carlo. While things are all squared now, there were severe tensions behind the scenes at Red Bull between the Brazilian Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Even if he is a long way from a race seat at Red Bull, the fact that he returned to his 'home team' and will be part of it makes him a vital part of the driver lineup story in the 2023 F1 season. Hopefully, he can show his proper form, the form that got him into this superstar role, and maybe a top team will pick him up for 2024 because F1 will not be the same without the big smile of Daniel Ricciardo.