Daniel Ricciardo

Former F1 driver predicts Verstappen reunion with Ricciardo

German F1 legend Hans-Joachim Stuck believes Ricciardo could be back in a Red Bull soon

Jay Winter

Friday 4 August 2023 15:57

Former German F1 driver Hans-Joachim Stuck has expressed his elation at the return of Daniel Ricciardo to the Formula 1 grid with AlphaTauri.

Stuck believes that Ricciardo, a seasoned talent, rightfully belongs in the sport and is optimistic about his future.

The German racing legend also hopes to see Ricciardo eventually become the teammate of Red Bull's star driver, Max Verstappen, stating that the Australian driver "deserves" such an opportunity.

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In an exclusive interview with Eurosport, Stuck revealed that he's over the moon about the return of the Honey Badger.

"Fantastic! He's a man who, in my opinion, belongs in Formula 1," he said.

"He will prove it when he's in a good car. I wholeheartedly wish him the best of luck."

The German's well-wishes didn't end there. Stuck openly expressed his hope to see Ricciardo eventually reunite with Verstappen at Red Bull.

"If Red Bull can't make it work with Sergio Perez, I hope Ricciardo becomes Max Verstappen's teammate," he stated.

"He deserves that."

Daniel Ricciardo (left) with Max Verstappen at the Monaco Grand prix

When will Ricciardo return?

As for the timeline of a potential team change, Stuck admits it's difficult to assess.

"That's difficult to predict," said the 72-year-old.

"I don't know what Helmut Marko's plans are and the agreements between Perez and Red Bull.

"We'll just have to wait; it's an internal matter. But, in any case, I'm thrilled that Ricciardo is back in the mix. I think it's fantastic."

Despite a good start in his return to the grid in Hungary, Ricciardo was less fortunate in his time out at the Belgian Grand Prix. The Australian finished P16 while his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda picked up his third point of the season in P10.

Ricciardo will look to use the summer break in order to recalibrate and return with a bang at the Dutch Grand Prix in two-weeks time.