Daniel Ricciardo says he has had enough of a break from driving in Formula 1 ahead of his test for Red Bull this weekend, but remains tight-lipped on the potential of racing for AlphaTauri next year.
Red Bull is one of three teams taking part in a Pirelli tire test on Tuesday and Wednesday at Silverstone, giving Ricciardo his first chance to drive the 2023 car since returning as one of its reserve drivers. Having last driven a current car in Abu Dhabi in November – his final race for McLaren – Ricciardo said he has enjoyed his time off but is ready to get back behind the wheel.
“Very much so!” he told SpeedCity Broadcasting of his excitement. “I’m hanging out just to drive in general. I’ve had enough of a break now where I’ve got ants in my pants, in a positive way. But of course it’s a phenomenal car and I’m excited to feel it round here, and on such a high-speed circuit as well.”
Speaking to SpeedCity as part of its live pre-race show on SiriusXM, Ricciardo also admitted he is keen to get back on the grid rather than watching race build-up from the Red Bull garage.
“Yeah of course (I miss it), this is my favorite part of the race weekend – the build-up part to the race,” he said. “When you’re about 10-15 minutes out, it’s really awesome and the grid gets packed, it’s a bit of a zoo and it’s chaos but it’s kind of a fun chaos. So I do miss it, but it’s all good. I’m letting it all happen as it comes and I have confidence I’ll be back on the grid at some point. Obviously I’m not 100% sure of it, but I’m confident it will happen again one day.”
When an AlphaTauri seat for 2024 was suggested, Ricciardo replied: “Never know, never know…
“So I’m staying ready. I sat on the couch for two months over Christmas but since then I’ve been getting back into my training and enjoying it.”
