Daniel Ricciardo Makes Surprise Comeback to AlphaTauri, Nyck De Vries Axed Ahead of Hungarian Grand Prix

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posted on 10 months ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Ricciardo is set to replace AlphaTauri's Nyck De Vries following a disappointing start to the current F1 season for the Dutchman.

AlphaTauri has now confirmed driver Nyck De Vries’ exit and has announced that Red Bull’s third driver Daniel Ricciardo will step into the Dutchman’s seat for the remainder of the 2023 season in a shock move.

De Vries was expected to be dismissed following the Dutchman’s disappointing start to the season.

The Formula E and Formula 2 champion struggled to make an impression in his first full season in F1. He is one of only two drivers yet to have scored a point, with a best finish of 12th in the Monaco GP and has been out-qualified 7-2 by fellow team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Red Bull has described the whole move as Ricciardo – its third driver this season – going “on loan” to AlphaTauri for the remainder of 2023.

Following Ricciardo’s performance in the recent tyre test at Silverstone, Red Bull boss Christian Horner commented on the Australian’s comeback.

“It is great to see Daniel hasn’t lost any form while away from racing and that the strides he has been making in his sim sessions translate on track,” said Horner.

“It was a very impressive drive and we are excited to see what the rest of the season brings for Daniel on loan at Scuderia AlphaTauri.

AlphaTauri took to social media to announce the arrival of the eight-time Grand Prix winner, and team boss Franz Tost expressed his happiness in signing the Aussie for the remainder of the season.

Daniel is back! ????@danielricciardo, on loan from @redbullracing, will be racing for us for the remainder of the #F1 season, starting from the Hungarian GP.Read more ????
— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) July 11, 2023

“I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team,” added team boss Franz Tost. “There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straightforward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 grand prix winner.

“I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri and I wish him all the best for the future.”

Ricciardo previously drove for AlphaTauri in its Toro Rosso guise in 2012 and 2013 before earning a promotion to Red Bull’s main team.