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.
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“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.”