Daniel Ricciardo is set to return to the Red Bull stable four years after his shock decision to leave for Renault, Helmut Marko has claimed.
After being dropped by McLaren a year before the end of his contract and failing to land a permanent drive elsewhere, Ricciardo has been on the lookout for a reserve driver role with a view to getting back on the grid full-time in 2024.
The Australian has held talks with leading teams Mercedes and Red Bull, who are both on the lookout for third drivers. Despite having a strong relationship with Mercedes pair Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton, it appears Ricciardo has opted to return to the team he has secured seven of his eight grand prix victories with.
READ MORE: Mick Schumacher loses F1 place and will leave Haas at end of the weekend
Speaking to Sky Germany between practice sessions at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Red Bull advisor Marko said: “Ricciardo will be our third driver. We have so many sponsors, we have to do show runs and the like, so of course he’s one of the most high-profile and best-suited.”
Our colleagues at Mirror Sport report that Marko’s comments were “premature” and that Ricciardo’s Red Bull deal has not yet been signed, although that is expected to be a formality.
With all the race seats filled for next year, another open to a third driver spot is Mick Schumacher, who has been dropped by Haas.
Can you see Ricciardo and Schumacher regaining F1 race seats? Tell us in the comments section.
(Image: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
And with Ricciardo seemingly heading back to Red Bull, the path is clear for Schumacher to link up with Mercedes, where his legendary father Michael ended his F1 career.
Speaking at last weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Wolff dropped a big hint that Mick is on their radar as they look for a replacement for Nyck de Vries, who has landed a race seat with AlphaTauri.
“I make no secret of the fact that the Schumacher family belongs to Mercedes and that we appreciate Mick very much,” said Wolff.
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