AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo wants to return to Formula 1 as quickly as possible after fracturing his left bone in August – with six races remaining in 2023.
Christian Horner does not expect Daniel Ricciardo to compete in next weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, but he has not ruled out a return.
Ricciardo has been out of action since breaking his left arm before the Dutch GP. He was forced to withdraw from that event, with rookie Liam Lawson replacing him and recording four impressive finishes in the last four races. However, Horner refused to bring Ricciardo home earlier than expected. The driver is expected to miss the Qatar GP on October 8 but is expected to return to the US GP on October 22. Horner also confirmed that Lawson will be considered for a seat in 2025.
Horner was asked if Ricciardo had been seen in Qatar during an interview with Sky Sports. He replied:
“I would say it’s probably less likely at the moment. His recovery is going well, but he will be in a chair for the next year.
“Does he need to rush back to Qatar? Or maybe a few more weeks for Austin, either way it’s been a very bumpy road, maybe it would be better to use that time to prepare defender for Austin “I know he has set a target for himself in Qatar, he will ride the simulator next week and then we will make a decision based on that.”
Ricciardo has struggled in F1 since leaving Red Bull for Renault ahead of the 2019 season. The 34-year-old, who has won eight races in the sport, spent two years at Renault before moving to at the same time in F1. McLaren. Ricciardo joined Red Bull as reserve driver after leaving McLaren last year before taking up De Vries’ position at AlphaTauri. Good performances in the second half of this season would have reminded everyone of his talent, but injury has denied him that opportunity.
Instead, Lawson proved himself in F1. Despite arguably driving the weakest car on the track, the 21-year-old New Zealand driver still finished 13th, 11th, 9th and 11th. However, Horner is not yet ready to invite Lawson into Red Bull or AlphaTauri. Horner added:
“There are no guarantees in life. He’s done really well; he’s really impressed us. He’s done exactly what we could have asked for which was to take his chances when he didn’t. got Daniel to really show off his abilities.
“It has surprised a few people and it has done him a lot of good. We will continue to develop him as he returns to that test and reserve role and he will certainly is a candidate for 2025.”
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