Helmut Marko reveals the one way Ricciardo could make Monza return

Ricciardo tijdens persconferentie op Zandvoort — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 Superstars

Marko reveals the one way Ricciardo could make Monza return

The Australian would need a miracle...

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 31 August 2023 22:57

Helmut Marko has joked that if Daniel Ricciardo was a MotoGP racer, he'd probably be on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix.

Having replaced the underperforming Nyck de Vries for the Hungarian GP, Ricciardo was just two races into his Formula 1 return when a nasty accident in FP2 at the Dutch GP left him with a broken wrist.

The Australian had been working hard over the summer break in order to come back and impress his Alpha Tauri team with the hope of securing a seat for 2024, but this unlucky injury now means that Red Bull youngster Liam Lawson will get the chance to impress, atleast for the next couple of races.

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Lawson was racing in Super Formula just seven days before his impressive debut at the Dutch GP, where he finished 13th, above his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda who is in his third full season in F1.

Ricciardo will be looking to get back into the car quickly in order to continue his resurgence in the sport, but Red Bull advisor Marko thinks it may take a little longer.

“Ricciardo was unlucky," he told Canal+.

"When will he be back? Will he need an operation? Daniel is on his way to Barcelona, where he will undergo surgery. After that, we'll have a better idea of when he'll be back.

”If he were a motorbike racer, he'd be back at Monza, but for a normal person, that seems unimaginable."

When will Ricciardo be back?

Ricciardo last won a race at the 2021 Italian GP

Ricciardo has now had that surgery, and it is certain he will miss out on Monza, before a race against time to get himself ready for the double-header of Singapore and Japan later in September.

It will be the Australian's plan to try not only get himself a seat on the grid in 2024, but also try and find his way back into a race-winning car, with rumours going around that he could replace Sergio Perez in the Red Bull in 2025.

For now, AlphaTauri seem happy with Lawson and, with Tsunoda's seat not 100 per cent guaranteed for 2024, there could be room for both Ricciardo and Lawson from next season.

“We are delighted that Daniel’s surgery went well and that he is now on the road to recovery," AlphaTauri said in a statement.

“We hope to see him at the track again very soon, but until he is fully fit, we can confirm that Liam, who did a good job in difficult circumstances in Zandvoort, will continue to drive alongside Yuki, starting from our home race this weekend in Monza.”