Red Bull’s Horner reflects on whether Ricciardo could return to a Red Bull seat

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Christian Horner, the Red Bull F1 team principal had opened up in a recent interview that Ricciardo’s time with the team in 2023 might help reinvigorate his passion for the sports. However, Horner also added that the team had no plans to offer the Aussie a full-time driving seat in a near-future.

In the matter of the fact, latest remarks from Red Bull boss Horner came forth amid conflicting media headlines on whether the F1 team would offer the 33-year-old some driving times this season.

Horner opens up his plan on Ricciardo’s role in Red Bull

Meanwhile, addressing that Ricciardo might become a little bit depressed over Formula 1 following two years of struggle at McLaren, Horner said, “I think that Daniel had fallen out of love a little bit with Formula 1.

He’s had a couple of really tough seasons, particularly [in 2022]. For him to play a supporting role to the race drivers, as our third driver, both back here in the factory and at events with all the commercial partners we have – as one of the most recognisable faces currently in and around Formula 1, for us it made a lot of sense.

And I hope in the process, Daniel will rediscover his passion for Formula 1, but we certainly have no plans to utilise him other than in that third driver role, to combine with the commercial activities that he will be performing”.

However, adding that the 33-year-old Aussie would be attending some races this season, Horner added, “Obviously, he will be our reserve driver for those events. He will probably do some tyre testing for us to help out with the Pirelli programme that gets distributed around the teams.

He will be doing some work in the simulator. So he will be doing more of those activities. And then of course with the commercial demands that we have from the myriad of sponsors and partners that we have, particularly with a much bigger presence in the US, where Daniel is now predominantly based, with three Grands Prix there next year, he is going to have a busy agenda for the season ahead”.