Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has insisted that he’s made Daniel Ricciardo “no promises” about the future, following his mid-season move to AlphaTauri to replace the sacked Nyck de Vries.
The Austrians have loaned their development driver their sister team for the remainder of 2023, starting this weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
It’s certainly a risky move by Ricciardo given that AlphaTauri are last in the Constructors’ Championship; however, he’s more than ready for the challenge.
Ricciardo is desperate for a move back to Red Bull, something which many suggest could happen if he delivers for the Faenza-based team in the remainder of this season.
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He ultimately knows that he must “show something” at AlphaTauri, with him knowing that he’s not guaranteed a seat yet in 2024.
“I have to show something, that’s for sure,” Ricciardo told reporters.
“But in relation to next year and beyond, there are no guarantees. That’s how it is in this sport.”
Even Marko has noted that Ricciardo’s move is a “big risk”; however, the 80-year-old admits that the fan favourite “wanted” to return to racing.
The second half of this season is very possibly the biggest in Ricciardo’s career, with Marko having revealed that there could be an “opportunity” for the driver if he delivers.
Despite this, Marko insists that he’s made “no promises” to the Aussie.
“Daniel will stay with Alpha Tauri until the end of the year and then we’ll see how the development has gone,” Marko told sport.de.
“This is a big risk for Daniel, but he wanted to do it. It was a positive surprise and I hope it works out well.
“But we have made no made any promises at all. He knows that if he performs well, there is an opportunity.”
Ricciardo clearly views a move to AlphaTauri has his best chance at returning to Red Bull perhaps as soon as next season, with that being his “dream”.
However, he recognises that he must “prove” himself once again and show “who I really am”.
“It’s the dream to get in there again,” Ricciardo said. “AlphaTauri is the best way for me to get that.
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“Yes, it’s the dream but I’m also a realist. I know that I have to prove myself again.
“There’s no special criteria that I have to meet. It’s just a new opportunity for me to prove who I really am. A chance to do better than I did at McLaren.
“But I know that I have to show something in these 12 races.”