Sergio Perez believes it’s “a shame” that Red Bull have loaned Daniel Ricciardo to AlphaTauri, with the Australian having done a “good” job as the side’s development driver.
It was announced last Tuesday that Ricciardo will be completing the remainder of the 2023 season for AlphaTauri, with rookie Nyck de Vries having been fired after just 10 races.
The 34-year-old will therefore be on the grid this weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix, bringing his sabbatical to an end.
Ricciardo’s last appearance for AlphaTauri came back in 2013, prior to his move to Red Bull.
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Since returning to Red Bull as their development driver, it’s believed that the eight-time race winner impressed the Austrians, something which played a role in De Vries’ sacking.
Perez addressed the situation at the sister team ahead of this weekend at the Hungaroring, where he admitted that he’s “happy” to see Ricciardo back on the grid.
“Sometimes there are some drivers that have a bit more time than others just because of circumstances,” said Perez.
“Nyck was very unlucky that Daniel was available, so it was a good opportunity for Red Bull to put him in there.
“On the other hand, I’m also happy for Daniel. He is very motivated to be back, so well done to him. It’s a great opportunity for him.”
Ricciardo is, of course, targeting a return to Red Bull, presumably to replace Perez.
Many believe that if the fan favourite does well for the Faenza-based team then he’ll give Red Bull something to think about for 2024, especially if Perez continues to struggle.
The Mexican has claimed just one podium in the last five races, whilst he hasn’t progressed to Q3 ahead of any of them.
Perez is definitely under pressure, with some speculation as to whether Ricciardo being loaned to AlphaTauri is a tactic to get the Mexican driver back on the right track.
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Despite the rumours, Perez is actually disappointed to see Ricciardo go to AlphaTauri, given how well he’d been working for Red Bull behind-the-scenes this season.
“He’s done a great job for us,” Perez said.
“It’s a bit of a shame we end up losing him because obviously, he’s a very experienced driver that understands the car. He’s been very good to us, and we get on very well, we have a good chat. He’s been good to Red Bull.”