Daniel Ricciardo made a shock return to Formula 1 after Red Bull and Alpha Tauri sacked Nyck de Vries. He was immediately up to speed in the car and looked to make a case for himself in front of Christian Horner. However, he got injured during a freak accident at Zandvoort and Liam Lawson has been his substitute since. According to Christian Horner, he is unlikely to return for the Qatar GP as well.
Daniel Ricciardo Injury Update
Daniel Ricciardo has been recovering very quickly from his injury. However, he had broken his metacarpals. They take a notorious time to fully recover. And he wouldn’t want to get back in a Formula 1 car without a full recovery.
Before the Singapore GP, Daniel Ricciardo gave us all an update on his injury via Instagram. The stitch seemed nasty, but he has since recovered more. However, his return to Formula 1 and Alpha Tauri is still unlikely at the Qatar GP.
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“Less Than Likely”
Red Bull boss, Christian Horner had this to say when asked about Daniel Ricciardo returning at the Qatar GP:
“I would say probably less likely than likely at the moment.”
“His recuperation is going well but he’s fixed in the seat for next year, does he need to rush a hasty return for Qatar where maybe another couple of weeks for Austin, which is a hell of a bumpy circuit anyway, it might be better to use that time in preparation for Austin.”
“I know he’s got his sights fixed on Qatar, he’ll drive the simulator next week and then we’ll make some decisions based on that.”
A Seat for 2024
Daniel Ricciardo has already secured a Formula 1 seat for 2024 at Alpha Tauri. However, he will be desperate to prove to Christian Horner he’s ready for the Red Bull seat. However, he will have to face a very confident and consistent Yuki Tsunoda.
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As of now, it is still unclear when Daniel Ricciardo will return to Formula 1. However, Austin seems the most likely option for the Aussie. Keep following us to remain updated.