As the 2023 chapter of Formula 1 has come to an end, the new AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo has already set his goals for the upcoming season. Ever since he returned to the grid after replacing Nyck de Vries mid-season, the Australian driver has made a name for himself. Although he had to take a leave momentarily since the incident that occurred at Zandvoort, he did not impress.
Not just that, Daniel Ricciardo’s comeback had a significant impact and also posed a threat to Sergio Perez’s career. Regardless, he has set up an ambitious goal. According to the release of a post-race interview at the very recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Daniel was questioned about his plan of action for 2024, he said, “I’ve gotta do Mexico! Maybe that’ll be my slogan.”
This query came about concerning getting an extended contract with AlphaTauri or a new one with some other team. His ongoing contract with Red Bull’s sister team expires at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Daniel, when asked what he has to do in 2024 for his next contract: “I’ve gotta do Mexico! Maybe that’ll be my slogan.” pic.twitter.com/sVW4QBEFW2
— meredith (@mereeedithh) November 26, 2023
But speaking of Mexico, Ricciardo had scored an outstanding seventh-spot finish at the race. This was one of the best performances by AlphaTauri in the 2023 season as it gave them a push in the Constructors’ Standings, jumping to the eighth spot. A series of outcomes like these could bag the Australian driver a seat at Red Bull which he desperately wants.
F1 ‘fairytale’: Can Daniel Ricciardo return to winning ways with Red Bull?
When Daniel Ricciardo returned to the Formula 1 grid earlier this year, he had a charming fantasy of joining the Red Bull team again. For the Australian driver, the idea of teaming up with Max Verstappen once more seemed like a “fairytale“. Talks for the seat beside Verstappen are anticipated to pick up volume in the upcoming year, although he admits that this ambition is far from certain.
hope you’re proud of yourself, @danielricciardo
to finish the year this way coming off the worst season of your career and 8 months out of an f1 car, followed by a major hand surgery leading to two further months missed is mega. not many can do that.
2024 is gonna be fun 🤙🏼 pic.twitter.com/JsoVbvMktV
— meredith (@mereeedithh) November 26, 2023
As stated by Daniel Ricciardo, “I think 12 months ago, a lot of the… call it rumors lists, for lack of better word, were normally negatively directed at me. So for me to be in a conversation again, whether it’s a rumor or not about, ‘Oh, could you be back in a Red Bull one day’, 12 months ago, 18 months ago, I never would have thought that would even be a conversation – even if it is just a rumor, I just didn’t think a rumor like that would exist.”
The talks regarding possible contenders, including Ricciardo, for the lucrative spot alongside Verstappen are expected to pick more steam in 2025 as Sergio Perez enters the last year of his Red Bull contract. A number of drivers, including Perez himself, may try out for the highly sought-after role with Red Bull during the impending driver “silly season,” which is expected to be an important stage.