Danila Ricciardo will replace Nyck De Vries at Alpha Tauri effectively immediately. The move isn’t surprising considering De Vries has yet to make an impact in Formula 1. Ricciardo is a talented driver who is already part of the Red Bull camp. He’s patiently been waiting for an opportunity to get back on grid. Ricciardo will race in the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I am stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family!” Ricciardo stated to F1.com.
After 10 races De Vries has not scored points. Alpha Tauri is at the bottom of the constructors championship standings; a foreign position for recent times. His exit was all but guaranteed but the when has now happened. Ricciardo participated in a tire testing event for Red Bull and they loved what they saw in the session and made the move official. Team Principal Christian Horner stated, “It is great to see Daniel hasn’t lost any form while away from racing and that the strides he has been making in his sim sessions translate on track. His times during the tire test were extremely competitive. It was a very impressive drive, and we are excited to see what the rest of the season brings for Daniel on loan at Scuderia AlphaTauri.”
The news comes after it was announced that Alpha Tauri will be rebranded in 2024. The move makes sense from a business and competition stand point.