Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed his delight at having Daniel Ricciardo back in Formula 1.
Ahead of the first free practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Horner commended Ricciardo’s performance in the Red Bull car after the British GP and highlighted the potential for him to be a valuable option for the team’s 2025 seat.
Ricciardo’s strong showing at the British GP convinced the team to offer him the opportunity to drive for AlphaTauri for the remainder of the season. Horner revealed that the Australian driver is eager to return to a front-running seat and views AlphaTauri as a potential pathway to achieve that goal.
“It’s great to see his performance in our car straight after the British GP,” Horner stated.
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“It was the Daniel we knew and recognised.
“That performance was compelling enough to say okay ‘do you want to drive the AlphaTauri for the balance of the season?’
“He was very much up for that challenge.
“He sees AlphaTauri potentially longer term as a way of doing that.
“For us as a team, to have options moving forward is no bad thing.
“Our primary objective is to get Checo firing on all cylinders on a Saturday which I’m sure he’s going to do.
“Daniel will be trying to make a claim for 2025.
“From our position, it’s a great place to be,” Horner continued, expressing the team’s optimism about the possibilities with both drivers.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s star driver, also welcomed the prospect of reuniting with Ricciardo as his teammate.
The two drivers had a strong camaraderie during their previous stint together at Red Bull.
Verstappen’s openness to having Ricciardo as a teammate again suggests a positive chemistry between the two, potentially boding well for the team’s dynamics.
Regarding Sergio Perez, who has been facing challenges this season, Horner assured that the team remains fully supportive of him.
He emphasised Perez’s popularity within the team and highlighted his significant contributions to Red Bull’s constructors’ championship success in 2021 and his current second-place position in the championship standings.
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“Absolutely. Let’s not forget that Checo is hugely popular within the team,” Horner continued.
“Let’s not forget what he did in 2021, his contribution to our constructors championship last year.
“He’s 2nd this year, and he’s the only other driver to win a race this year.
“Nobody is writing off Checo.”