In what was one of the most unexpected twists of this season, Red Bull Racing sacked rookie Nyck de Vries with immediate effect and replaced the Dutchman with Daniel Ricciardo. Hence, the fan-favorite Australian will officially return to Formula 1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix after remaining on the sidelines for almost half-season.
Of course, the driver swap looked inevitable, given that de Vries was clearly suffering for pace and was miles behind his teammate’s level of performance. However, most of the reports weren’t anticipating the announcement to break out until after the summer break in August. Hence, while the media was coming to a consensus on this scenario, Red Bull decided to insinuate chaos in the F1 community.
Daniel Ricciardo will make a sensational return to the Formula 1 grid with @AlphaTauriF1 🤩
So, let’s take a look at how it all came about 🔎👇#F1 @danielricciardo
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 11, 2023
Amidst the recent turn of events, there was one big question irking the entire motorsport fandom – How did Red Bull evaluate Ricciardo and his racing prowess? According to reports, the reigning world champions were astonished by a target Ricciardo inadvertently accomplished during the Pirelli tire test at Silverstone following the British Grand Prix weekend.
Furthermore, this particular rumor left the fans laughing in agony while judging Red Bull’s assessing techniques.
F1 fans displeased with Daniel Ricciardo return amid latest Red Bull theory
According to multiple reports, Ricciardo clocked an impressive lap time of 1:27:415 during his Silverstone test on Tuesday. What’s interesting is that the Australian was only 0.695s away from beating Max Verstappen’s pole-winning lap time. However, not a lot of fans were particularly impressed by this. One fan wrote, “They brought him back for this.”
Take a look at more such negative reactions from the F1 fans who visibly expressed their absolute displeasure with Red Bull’s think tank.
They brought him back for this 😭😭
— * (@prayertospace) July 11, 2023
That would have put him 8th and just above the Williams of Alex Albon who had a 1.27.530.
So in a Red Bull he is competitive with a Williams. Got it.
— Dane Miller (@DaneMiller_SWS) July 11, 2023
These were the “impressive” times people were talking about 😭💀💀😭😭😭
— f1fort (@WH0lSU) July 11, 2023
Yeah can’t use the times from a tire test to make a determination on pace
— Doesn’t matter (@midcrocosm) July 11, 2023
7 tenths off with a fully rubbered track ☠️ get him out of AT
— ً (@thre3d) July 11, 2023
Indeed, it would be extremely unfair to compare the two lap times, considering both laps happened under different track conditions, fuel loads, tire compounds, and other essential factors. Verstappen may have delivered his pole-winning lap on a new set of soft tires.
But, it is essential to note that the track was damp and subsequently, green, thanks to the persistent rain across the weekend. This likely hindered the Dutchman from unlocking the true potential of his unstoppable Red Bull challenger. Meanwhile, in Ricciardo’s case, the Honey Badger had no tire blankets, and he recorded the overly-hyped lap time on a set of hard tires. Too many factors to consider
Honey Badger 🤝 RB19
Danny Ric is back behind the wheel of a @redbullracing car for the Pirelli tyre test at Silverstone! 🤩#F1 @danielricciardo pic.twitter.com/buyxOvLYAH
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 11, 2023
Overall, the return of Ricciardo hasn’t been as glorifying as many expected it to be amidst hefty backlash from the fans. Hence, can the 8-time Grand Prix winner prove his worth over what could be the most crucial part of his racing career?