Major Daniel Ricciardo boost revealed amid F1 RETURN talk

Daniel Ricciardo, VCARB, Visa, RB, Singapore, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Major Ricciardo boost revealed amid F1 RETURN talk

Daniel Ricciardo was axed from F1 during the 2024 season

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 27 December 2024 21:56 Updated: 19:05

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Daniel Ricciardo has received a major boost amid talk that he could make a Formula 1 return.

The Aussie was axed from VCARB in Septemberof this year, after a series of disappointing results throughout the 2024 season.

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Ricciardo may have failed to match team-mate Yuki Tsunoda this season, but there are some who have not given up hope of him making a return to the sport, particularly with the arrival of Cadillac in F1 on the horizon.

The General Motors-backed team will enter the sport in 2026, with reports suggesting that they could be eyeing up Ricciardo for one of their seats.

Could we see Daniel Ricciardo at Cadillac F1?

Daniel Ricciardo was originally replaced by Liam Lawson at VCARB

Ricciardo receives boost from F1 team chief

However, Ricciardo has since denied that he will make a return to F1, claiming he was done when asked if a move to Cadillac was on the cards.

Despite Ricciardo’s exit from F1, his former boss and RB team principal Laurent Mekies has offered a boost for the star.

Mekies complimented his old driver, where he claimed his technical feedback and expertise allowed Tsunoda to develop as a driver in 2024, highlighting key skills that would be essential to many teams - especially new arrivals on the grid.

"There was a huge benefit for the team and for Yuki in terms of Daniel's technical feedback, direction of development, race-winning approach," Mekies said to Motorsport.com.

Yuki Tsunoda got the better of Daniel Ricciardo in 2024

"Having somebody that knows how it is in a team that wins races, that fights for championships, is setting the benchmark and that counts a lot in a time where you are trying to build the team and target better results.

"That benefit has been huge, also in terms of car understanding and car development. And I think Yuki has been developing a good relationship with Daniel to the extent that he has been able to absorb quite a lot of that and to keep progressing himself in that area."