Daniel Ricciardo was on the verge of having one of the worst seasons in Formula 1. The Australian has had some of the worst few months after not receiving a contract from his McLaren team. However, it was for Christian Horner that he could make a comeback.
The driver was relieved however, his time in the car did not come soon. He stayed as Red Bull’s reserve driver and test driver as he worked his way in the simulation.
Nonetheless, when he was asked about Horner helping him out of the dump, the Australian was grateful. Ricciardi was close to losing a seat in F1, but with Red Bull welcoming him, he found his place again.
He said, “The feeling I got when I came back to the Red Bull family, his investment in me, his interest, the open arms. That makes me feel like he has been a big supporter before. He really wanted me to get back to a level he knows I’m capable of.”
Daniel Ricciardo thanks Christian Horner for bringing him back to the Red Bull family
“The feeling I got when I came back to the Red Bull family, his investment in me, his interest, the open arms. That makes me feel like he has been a big supporter before. He really wanted me to… pic.twitter.com/vhOm96fqXa
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) October 3, 2023
Ricciardo, however, found hope again after shifting his driving to AlphaTauri. The Australian was called in after removing Nyck de Vries from the team. Nonetheless, Ricciardo has not had the best season so far.
From making a comeback to going back on the side benches after his crash with the wall. The Australian has also developed a broken wrist which left him unable to drive as rookie Liam Lawson takes over his place.
How did Christian Horner help Daniel Ricciardo to make a comeback?
Daniel Ricciardo was driving for the McLaren F1 team alongside Lando Norris. However, his performance in comparison to the star of McLaren was not up to par. Previously, he drove for Renault where it looked like his plans of having a great F1 outcome failed.
Nonetheless, with even McLaren seeming out of reach and with no contract in hand, the driver was lost. McLaren too announced having a rookie joining in 2023.
This left Ricciardo with no hope for his F1 future. With the last bit of hope, he called Horner who visited the Australian in his room. Horner even mentioned that Ricciardo looked lost and it seemed like his passion had dimmed.
However, the Red Bull boss helped Ricciardo get back on his feet. After putting him in the sim to work and keeping him as the reserve and test driver, Daniel was in good hands.
Qatar? 💭
Austin? 💭Christian Horner gives an update on Daniel Ricciardo’s recovery and when he could be back racing 👇 pic.twitter.com/hMRnL1jlb3
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) September 28, 2023
Meanwhile, not everything was good at the AlphaTauri team. Nyck de Vries had troubles as he had a terrible performance with no points earned for his team. This left Red Bull with only one choice.
They brought Daniel Ricciardo to AlphaTauri and soon Nyck de Vries was fired. However, everything was in vain as after only a few races, Ricciardo found his seat back on the sidelines after a wrist injury.