The 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix marked Daniel Ricciardo’s first race with AlphaTauri. Two weeks ago, it was announced that Helmut Marko would replace Nyck de Vries with Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri.
In his debut, Daniel Ricciardo qualified ahead of his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda. Ricciardo’s Japanese teammate was not able to make his way to Q3. Daniel on the other hand was able to qualify for P13. This was impressive given that this was his first weekend in the car.
The Aussie’s race was compromised as soon as the race started. He dropped to the last position after Zhou Guanyu crashed into him. Luckily he did not have much damage to the car and was able to continue. He then worked his way back to P13.
Helmut Marko on Daniel Ricciardo’s first race back:
“That was a perfect debut, Daniel would have been in the points [if it wasn’t for the first lap accident]. It was absolutely right to sign him. He brings a positive vibe and energy.”#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/xaQ5XsQZ6N
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 26, 2023
Helmut Marko felt that Daniel Ricciardo could have finished in the points if not for the incident with Guanyu Zhou. Here is what Helmut Marko said after the race:
“That was a perfect debut, Daniel would have been in the points. It was absolutely right to get him. He brings a positive vibe and energy.”
“It was a very confident and mature performance. The collision after the start caused him to lose three or four places. 13th place is okay. But it’s also the positive momentum that he brought to the team and a stabilization of the technical statements and changes – the change worked out perfectly.”
Helmut Marko seems to be more than happy with Daniel Ricciardo’s performance in the race. Even Ricciardo was happy with his performance after the race. Although he was not able to score points, he finished in front of his teammate, which Nyck de Vries managed to do only twice with AlphaTauri.
Does Daniel Ricciardo have a chance at the Red Bull seat?
Daniel Ricciardo has said that he aims to take that empty Red Bull seat in 2025. There were rumors that he could replace Sergio Perez either mid-season or after the 2023 season, but these rumors were denied by Helmut Marko and Christian Horner.
If Daniel is able to perform consistently and finish ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, There is no doubt that he will have a good chance to replace Sergio Perez after his contract ends in 2025. However, he will be competing for the seat against younger drivers with greater potential such as Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.
🚨 | Christian Horner confirms that Daniel Ricciardo is targeting the 2025 Red Bull seat
“Daniel firmly wants to be pitching for that 2025 Red Bull seat, that’s his goal and objective. By going to AlphaTauri he sees that as his best route of steadying his case for 2025.” pic.twitter.com/gG4DAHi04y
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 17, 2023
Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are drivers who are approaching their prime and are looking to win a Championship. It is doubtful they could do so with Max Verstappen as their teammate in Red Bull.
It is already clear that Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have a healthy relationship with Daniel Ricciardo. Given that Red Bull may not be the best choice for Lando and Charles as they aspire to be Champions, Daniel Ricciardo will be a good option. The Honey Badger also has a close friendship with Max Verstappen who would potentially be his teammate if he were to replace Sergio Perez.
It is going to be interesting to see Daniel Ricciardo’s performance in the coming weeks. If he impresses the Red Bull management with his performance, we could see him continue with the team next year and replace Sergio Perez in 2025.