Red Bull chief confirms Ricciardo target for F1 comeback chance

Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has lifted the lid on one of the main factors which prevented Daniel Ricciardo from earning a shock return to the reigning Formula 1 champions.

Ricciardo drove alongside both Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen for the Milton Keynes-based outfit during the early stages of his career, before going on to represent Renault and McLaren.

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Following a short spell away from the sport, he joined Visa Cash App RB midway through 2023.

But his disappointing form during his time at Red Bull's sister team prompted bosses to make a change in their driver line-up in the wake of last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, announcing that Liam Lawson would be taking over from the Australian with immediate effect.

Comeback never on the cards

The news didn't come as a surprise, not least to Ricciardo himself, who reflected on his long career during an emotionally charged post-race interview in Singapore.

With no seat secured for next season, it would now appear that fans across the world have seen the last of the popular racer behind the wheel of an F1 car.

Ricciardo had made no secret of his ambition to one day get back to Red Bull, and had even been tipped to replace Sergio Perez over the summer, but now the team's director has opened up on why that possibility never came to fruition.

Speaking to Formel1.de, Marko praised the 35-year-old in light of posting the fastest lap in Singapore, but admitted his overall lack of consistency ensured a Red Bull comeback was never on the cards.

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"Ricciardo leaving Formula 1 with the fastest lap is also a good farewell, in my opinion," said the Austrian. "It also showed the potential he has, though not consistently and not at the level that would have justified a move to Red Bull Racing."

When quizzed on how close the eight-time race winner came to re-joining the team, he replied: "I think it was communicated clearly - he needed to be significantly better than Yuki Tsunoda.

"And that only happened in a few races. I believe there was a fourth-place finish in a sprint race [in Miami].

"Otherwise, Yuki was the stronger driver, and it became clear that this comeback, or story, was over."

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