Pirelli testing is an opportunity for Ricciardo, albeit a ghostly one

Daniel Ricciardo drives a Red Bull Racing battle car for the first time since 2018 at Silverstone today at Pirelli’s tire test. It is possible that today’s event will affect the Australian’s further career, assuring that after missing this season he is serious about his return to the Championship.

After an unsuccessful two-year experience at McLaren, Daniel decided in 2023 to take a normal break from the stress of Formula 1, collect his thoughts and focus on his business projects. But at the same time he serves as a reserve racer for Red Bull and in that capacity he mainly works on a simulator, and on race weekends he likes to talk to the press and fans. They still love him and will surely be upset when the charming and good-natured Australian finally says goodbye to Formula 1.

We quoted Christian Horner’s words that the team does not intend to invite Ricciardo to the main squad, which makes sense, as Sergio Perez’s contract runs until the end of 2024. But about the Pirelli test at Silverstone, the head said from Red Bull Racing: “I didn’t recognize Daniel in the previous two seasons, so I’m very curious how he handles the matter on Tuesday.”

With Nick de Vries falling short of expectations associated with him at AlphaTauri, there is a possibility that Ricciardo will have the chance to return to the wheel this year, although New Zealander Liam Lawson, who now competes in the Japanese Super Formula series and for three stages until the end of the season, with a 2nd place in the individual ranking.

And yet, if Red Bull’s management decides not to bet on a rookie, but on the most experienced driver at their disposal, Ricciardo will be the obvious choice. AlphaTauri is now in a difficult position, the AT04 chassis is not very efficient, so Daniel’s knowledge, his ability to feel and fine-tune the car may be in demand.

The same Horner spoke very highly of Riccardo, about the enthusiasm and perseverance with which he prepared for the upcoming Pirelli tests. That is why the team is following Daniel’s work very closely today, and will then just as closely analyze his telemetry and other information that is not only related to the actual driving of the RB19.

“This is an important test for Pirelli, but it is also great to see Daniel driving a Red Bull car again, especially as she has just won the British Grand Prix. Let’s see what pace he’s capable of, his physical shape, psychological state, and on top of that it’s helpful to get information from him about RB19,” Horner said.

Of course, Daniel himself understands all this, so he tries, there is no doubt about it, because today’s tests give him a chance, although so far very illusory. However, if Sergio Perez continues to drop in qualifying, as has been the case for five stages in a row, and if the relationship between him and Max Verstappen suddenly starts to deteriorate sharply, Riccardo’s chances could still grow.