The sensational F1 return for Daniel Ricciardo with Scuderia AlphaTauri is a” roll of the dice” with implications for the careers of four drivers.
That’s the assessment of Speedcafe’s F1 editor Mat Coch and Fox Sports motorsport writer Michael Lamonato, who discussed the Honey Badger’s surprise promotion on a special episode of the Pit Talk podcast.
Ricciardo will replace Nyck de Vries at Scuderia AlphaTauri for the remaining 12 races of the 2023 season after the Dutchman failed to live up to the expectations within the brutal Red Bull system.
The Australian has been reserve driver for Red Bull Racing since agreeing to the early termination of his McLaren contract at the end of last season.
Now set to rejoin the grid after some eight months away, the pressure is on Ricciardo, Scuderia AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, and arguably Sergio Perez too.
‘Scuderia AlphaTauri, coming in mid-season, that’s the play for now,” Coch said of Ricciardo’s return.
“But what are they playing towards for Daniel? Are they trying to give Sergio Perez the hurry-up? Are they trying to give Yuki Tsunoda a hurry-up?
“With a view to Red Bull, we know Perez has got a contract there until the end of next season… contracts don’t mean anything in F1, just ask Nyck de Vries.”
It’s a view Lamonato shared, suggesting Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, “is the master of keeping us all guessing.
“We know Red Bull just loves putting pressure on drivers; its way of finding diamonds is to put them under pressure, not to give them time to sort themselves out.
“So it puts Perez under pressure, puts Yuki Tsunoda under pressure, because for all the way we’ve been talking this year about him having a great season, and that’s probably true, he’s in his third season now.
“This is his moment to prove that, actually, the three years have really delivered something great – or maybe he wilts against Daniel Ricciardo.
“Puts Daniel under pressure too.
“And it also, in a weird way, and this is sort of the external element of it, puts a bit of pressure on the up-and-coming young drivers who are not yet in Formula 1, thinking particularly about Liam Lawson.”
The situation provides a fascinating scenario that will play out throughout the balance of the 2023 season, one with significant ramifications regardless of how it plays out.
“This has got to be a roll of the dice,” Coch reasoned.
“There are no guarantees here. And if this doesn’t work, Daniel’s Formula 1 career is pretty well done because, after McLaren, if he doesn’t succeed against Yuki Tsunoda with AlphaTauri, I’m sorry, nobody’s going to want him.”
You can watch the full episode of the Pit Talk podcast in which Coch and Lamonato discuss the return of Daniel Ricciardo on YouTube.
Alternatively, the audio-only version is available via Spotify.
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