Ricciardo’s return to racing wasn’t without challenges. He had only completed two races for AlphaTauri before an unfortunate crash at Zandvoort resulted in an injury to his metacarpal. Despite this setback, his performance was strong enough to secure a full-time return with the Italian squad for the 2024 season. Red Bull confirmed his position alongside Yuki Tsunoda for the upcoming year.
Mark Gallagher, a former Cosworth and Jordan management head, expressed his belief that Ricciardo’s return was almost a certainty once he signed on as a reserve driver. According to Gallagher, the injury was far from ideal for Ricciardo but didn’t diminish his prospects. Red Bull, through the guidance of Helmut Marko and the Red Bull system, had a clear intention to welcome him back.
