Daniel Ricciardo has shut down reports of a return to his old camp with Red Bull.
After parting ways with McLaren, Ricciardo will not be a top 20 driver in Formula 1 next season, opting to step away from the grid in a bid to secure a full-time seat at a team competitive in 2024.
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There had been much speculation that Ricciardo would join Mercedes as a reserve driver in 2023, but Sky Sports pit reporter Ted Kravitz reported that Ricciardo would return to his former team.
“I have good news for Daniel Ricciardo fans,” Kravitz said after Ricciardo was eliminated from the first round of qualifying at the US Grand Prix.
“He may not have a race next year, but I understand he has locked down a reserve unit for next year. So he told us on Thursday, he will be around the F1 paddock on next year.”
Pressed on which team Ricciardo is heading to, Kravitz added: “We thought Mercedes, because now they have a vacancy with Nyck De Vries, their reserve driver, going to Alpha Tauri. They tell me it’s not Mercedes. So only Red Bull remains, the (only two) teams that have a reserve driver on hand at every race”.
Ricciardo, however, shut down those reports after being asked if there was a deal shortly after the qualifying session ended.
“No, I don’t. It’s all rumors at the moment,” Ricciardo told motorsport.com.
“Am I talking? Yes. But there’s still no pen on paper or anything like that.”
Ricciardo confirmed that his intentions remained set on securing a grid seat in 2024 and that he would be there.
“So I’m not going to completely disconnect from the sport, but obviously nothing is guaranteed for ’24,” he added. “Like, I don’t have a seat that I can say I’m going to drive.
“But I’ll still be around and try to work to get back.”
Red Bull and Mercedes are one of the few teams to field a reserve driver at every race on the F1 calendar.
Ricciardo spent five seasons at Red Bull and his third place finishes in the Drivers’ Championship in 2014 and 2016 remain the best results of his career.
A move to Red Bull would allow Ricciardo to keep one foot in the F1 paddock in 2023, even if he is watching the action from the sidelines.
After missing out on the spare seat at Alpine, the 33-year-old turned down an offer to drive for Haas and intends to return to the grid in a competitive team.
Speaking earlier this week ahead of the US Grand Prix, Ricciardo suggested he hoped to remain involved in F1 in some capacity in 2023.
“You’ll see me around,” he said.
“It will be different for me, but there is still a plan in place.
“So it’s not like I’m looking and saying ‘see you later’, it’s far from that.
“I’m just making a plan to try, honestly, to get back to the front of the grid and win races and do all the things that I know I can do.”
Ricciardo had another underwhelming performance in qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday (AEDT), setting just the 17th fastest time and failing to make it out of Q1.
He had problems with the brake pedal during practice.
Carlos Sainz qualified on pole position ahead of Max Verstappen for the United States Grand Prix, which starts at 6am (AEDT) on Monday.
Charles Leclerc was second fastest but will start 12th after dropping 10 places due to a grid penalty.
United States Grand Prix provisional starting grid
1. Carlos Sainz
2. Max Verstappen
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. George Russell
5. Spear ride
6. Lando Norris
7. Valtteri Bottas
8. Alex Albon
9. Sergio Perez
10. Sebastian Vettel
11. Pierre Gasly
12. Charles Leclerc
13. Yuki Tsunoda
14. Fernando Alonso
15. Kevin Magnussen
16. Daniel Ricciardo
17. Esteban Ocon
18. Mick Schumacher
19. Zhou Guanyu
20. Nicolau Latifi
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