Ricciardo - Will the F1 fan favourite return to the F1 grid?

Sam Hall
Thursday 19 January 2023 07:30

Daniel Ricciardo will serve as the reserve driver at Red Bull this season but will the popular Australian ever find his way back onto the F1 grid?

McLaren and Ricciardo had a contract in place for the driver to remain with the team through the 2023 season but after two years of largely disappointing results, both parties mutually agreed to part ways early.

Despite seats remaining in the lower order when this split was confirmed, the 33-year-old opted instead to spend a year on the sidelines in order to rediscover his love for the sport.

But when Red Bull offered a chance to do this while keeping his toe in the paddock, Ricciardo leapt at the opportunity to rejoin the team with which he secured seven of his eight F1 race wins.

Despite his proven pedigree, however, there remain significant doubts that Ricciardo will return in a full capacity given the relatively young age of drivers on the grid and his recent results record.

We want to know what you think. As ever, let us know in the poll and the comments section below.