Daniel Ricciardo will participate in selected Grands Prix as Red Bull’s reserve driver for 2023, alongside simulator, tire testing and commercial activities, team principal Christian Horner said.
Ricciardo signed with Red Bull as a third driver for 2023 after being released from his McLaren contract a year ago. He previously drove for Red Bull teams Alfatari (originally called Toro Rosso) and Red Bull’s top team in his first seven full seasons in Formula 1.
Liam Lawson has been Red Bull’s reserve driver since July. He will continue in that role next year but will compete in the Japanese Super Formula series, meaning he will not be available to take part in all rounds of the 2023 F1 calendar.
According to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, Ricciardo will take over as reserve driver at selected rounds in 2023. “Daniel will participate in some races and be reserve driver for those events,” Speed Cafe said.
He will probably do a bit of tire testing for us to help the Pirelli program around the teams. It does some work in the simulator. He will do all these tasks, and then with the business demands from the countless sponsors and partners we have – especially his big presence in America Daniel is currently based on three Grands Prix there next year – he will have a lot on the agenda for the upcoming season.
Horner has lost some of Ricciardo’s “love” for Formula 1 following his disappointing 2022 campaign with McLaren, but expects the driver’s return to Red Bull to help rekindle his passion for the sport. However, Horner insists the team have no plans to return him to one of their racing seats at this stage.
Advertisement | Become a RaceFans fan and
“We were surprised to see Daniel come up on the open market,” Horner said. “So for us – having grown up with Red Bull, raising him since he was a kid – it made sense to bring him back into the fold.
“I think Daniel fell a bit out of love with Formula 1. He has had two very difficult seasons this year in particular. For him to play a support role for the racing drivers as a third driver, here at the factory and in preparation with all our business partners – one of the most recognizable faces in and around Formula 1 at the moment – meant a lot to us.
“We hope that in that process Daniel will rediscover his passion for Formula 1. However, we have no plans to use him in a third driving role to combine with the business activities that he undertakes.”
Red Bull announced that one of Ricciardo’s first duties would be a demonstration run at the Mount Panorama circuit in one of their cars during the Bathurst 12 Hours weekend in February. In 2011, Jenson Button became the first driver to race the track that hosts the famous Bathurst 1000 Touring Car race in a Formula 1 car.
See the current list of 2023 F1 drivers and teams
Advertisement | Become a RaceFans fan and
2022 F1 season
Browse all 2022 F1 current articles
