According to team president Christian Horner, Daniel Ricciardo will participate in a few Grands Prix as Red Bull's backup driver in 2023 along with simulator, tyre testing, and promotional tasks.
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Ricciardo, who was let go from his McLaren contract one year early, joined on with Red Bull as their third driver for 2023. During his first seven complete Formula 1 seasons, he had previously raced for Red Bull teams AlphaTauri (formerly known as Toro Rosso) and Red Bull’s senior squad. Since July, Liam Lawson has served as Red Bull’s backup driver. He will remain in that capacity the following year, although he will also compete in Japan’s Super Formula series, so he won’t be able to make it to every event on the 2023 F1 calendar.
Christian Horner, the team president of Red Bull, announced that in 2023, Ricciardo will replace the reserve driver at some events. He informed Speedcafe that Daniel “will be attending some races where obviously he’ll be our reserve driver for those occasions.” He will likely perform some tyre testing for us to assist with the Pirelli programme that is offered to the teams. He will be working in the simulator. He’ll be involved in all of those operations, and he’ll also be very busy due to the commercial demands from our many sponsors and partners, especially given our increased presence in the US, where Daniel will be competing in three Grands Prix next year.
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Through his unsuccessful 2022 season with McLaren, Horner claimed that Ricciardo had lost some of his “passion” for Formula 1, but he anticipates that the driver’s return to Red Bull will help him rediscover that enthusiasm. Horner adds that the team does not currently have any intentions to put him back in one of their race seats. Daniel being on the open market “surprised us,” Horner added. It made natural for us to bring Red Bull back into the fold because we’ve known him since he was a junior and have grown up with him.
“I believe Daniel had a slight change of heart towards Formula 1,” He’s had a few pretty difficult seasons, especially this one. He is one of the most recognisable names today in and around Formula 1, therefore it made sense for us for him to help the race drivers as our third driver, both back here at the plant and at events with all the commercial partners we have. “Hopefully Daniel will rekindle his love for Formula 1 during that process. But we don’t have any further plans for him besides that third driver position to go along with the commercial work he’ll be doing.
