Daniel Ricciardo will get behind the wheel of Red Bull's 2023 car, the RB19, for the first time on Tuesday as he takes part in a Pirelli tyre test at Silverstone. The Australian, who returned to Red Bull as a reserve driver this season after leaving McLaren, will help the tyre manufacturer with their development of the 2024 tyres.
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However, for Ricciardo, who has freely professed his desire to race for Red Bull again in the future, the test is about more than just tyres. The 34-year-old, who won seven races for the team between 2014 and 2018, stated last month that driving for the team that gave him his first victory would be a "fairy-tale ending" to his F1 career.
The Aussie driver may have to go through AlphaTauri first, though, as the junior team is reportedly considering replacing Nyck de Vries, who has yet to score a point in 10 races this season. Ricciardo said he would be open to racing for AlphaTauri if it created a path to get back to Red Bull. Ricciardo's performance in the tyre test will be closely watched by Red Bull's bosses, who have not ruled out the possibility of giving him a full-time seat in the future.
Team principal Christian Horner said he was "very interested" to see how Ricciardo fares in the RB19, both on pace and feedback. "It's an important test for Pirelli but it's also going to be great to see him back in a Red Bull car and seeing where he's at - both on pace and mentally, physically and to get his feedback on this car as well," Horner added.
However regarding Ricciardo returning on the grid, Horner was more reserved as he said, “It's not something that we're planning, that's for certain," Horner said when asked if there was a possibility of Ricciardo getting a full-time seat with the team in future. It was right to give him the opportunity this year to remain within the team and keep him around the sport.”
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The tyre test will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday at Silverstone, with Ricciardo sharing the RB19 with Red Bull's regular drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Ricciardo first revealed in May that he would be getting his first taste of Red Bull's unbeaten 2023 car in the Silverstone tyre test. The driver continues to target a return to the grid and will look to impress in this tire test.
