Daniel Ricciardo could RETURN as early as the Singapore Grand Prix, claims Sky F1 pundit Ted Kravitz

Ricciardo, Verstappen, Monaco, 2023 — Photo: © LAT Images

Daniel Ricciardo

Ricciardo could RETURN as early as the Singapore Grand Prix, claims Sky F1 pundit Kravitz

Daniel Ricciardo expected to return to action by the Japanese Grand Prix

Shay Rogers

Sunday 3 September 2023 22:27

Daniel Ricciardo is expected to return to AlphaTauri for the Asian portion of the Formula 1 season, according to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz, despite Liam Lawson’s solid performances.

Ricciardo, 32, suffered a broken metatarsal in an accident at the Dutch Grand Prix, which required surgery and threatened to sideline him for an extended period of time.

However, according to Ted Kravitz, the Aussie driver is expected to return to replace Liam Lawson as soon as the Singapore Grand Prix, depending on how his wrist heals over the coming weeks.

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Since Ricciardo replaced Nyck De Vries at the Hungarian Grand Prix, AlphaTauri have shown gradual signs of improvement with their 2023 challenger, that has otherwise languished at the back of the pack.

Kravitz: They want Daniel Ricciardo to come back

“When is Daniel Ricciardo coming back? Maybe Singapore, probably more likely Japan,” Kravitz said on Ted’s Notebook. “Is Daniel Ricciardo coming back at all? Are they going to keep Liam Lawson in the car? No.”

“We think they’re not going to keep Liam Lawson in the car, we think that contractually and emotionally, they want Daniel Ricciardo to come back and to complete his season when he’s fit.

“When his broken hand has repaired itself, as soon as possible. I think Red Bull and kind of Liam Lawson, want him to finish his Japanese Super Formula season which is on the weekend of the Mexican Grand Prix.”

With Sergio Perez’s gradual decline in form continuing, Red Bull will be eager to evaluate all options including Ricciardo, before they move forward with their plans for 2024.

There is yet the possibility that both Lawson and Ricciardo could be teammates, if Aston Martin decides to pursue a move for Yuki Tsunoda heading into a long-term partnership with Honda.