Ricciardo Red Bull return revelation made by team boss

Cal Gaunt
Saturday 11 November 2023 21:59

Daniel Ricciardo fans, look away now. Excitement had grown among fans in recent weeks regarding a potential Ricciardo to Red Bull move, with Sergio Perez struggling and the Aussie impressing at AlphaTauri.

Speculation over Perez's seat in the F1 circles continued to intensify, but Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has now dashed hopes of the Honey Badger returning to the 2023 champions.

Horner has firmly expressed his support for the Mexican driver, who still has a year left on his current contract, and insists 'Checo' will be going nowhere.

Horner clear on 2024 pairings

“I am absolutely confident and clear that Checo (Perez) will be our driver next year,” Horner told motorsport.com, via Fox Sports.

But Horner did offer a glimmer of hope regarding a potential seat uprgade for Ricciardo, depending on certain factors outside of anyone's control.

“Now, if he was injured or something like that, there are circumstances beyond our control," he added.

"But the clear plan and therefore the clear intention is that he will continue. We’re planning to continue.

"We have announced the AlphaTauri drivers, we have our Red Bull Racing drivers. That is how we intend to go racing in 2024.”

Ricciardo made a Red Bull comeback at the beginning of the 2023 season as a reserve driver, before being unexpectedly promoted back on the grid with AlphaTauri after the axing of Nyck de Vries.

Ricciardo has inked a contract extension with the partner team of Red Bull, where he will be partnering with Yuki Tsunoda for the 2024 season.

“I’m stoked to be driving with Yuki again next year and continuing the journey with Scuderia AlphaTauri,” Ricciardo said in a statement.

“Following the progress we have already made and the plans for the future, it’s an exciting time for the Team. We are building and it is a great feeling. There is a lot of work to do, but we are heading in the right direction and there is a lot to look forward to. Bring on 2024!”

READ MORE: Ricciardo set to earn millions after seat decision