Daniel Ricciardo has opened up on his choice to return to his outdated stomping floor at Purple Bull for the 2023 season.
The Aussie celebrity gained’t be on the grid after his contract with McLaren was lower brief by a yr.
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McLaren let the 33-year-old go after signing Australian teenager Oscar Piastri to pair him up with Lando Norris.
Ricciardo was linked with a return to Alpine, previously Renault, earlier than the workforce in the end signed Pierre Gasly to accomplice with Esteban Ocon.
A seat was stated to be accessible with Haas, nonetheless the West Australian stated he wanted a yr away from the grid to make sure he didn’t lose his love for the game.
His return to the Purple Bull storage will see him develop into the groups third driver the place he’ll tackle simulator and advertising duties.
The position won’t require him to be part of the workforce for everything of the 2023 season, permitting him to have time away from the game and to himself.
He stated the choice to return permits him to stay within the forefront of different groups’ minds as he hunts a 2024 grid spot.
“It’s good to be in a profitable surroundings, I believe you be taught lots,” Ricciardo stated to Speedcafe.
“If there’s not a seat with them, probably they might help discover a seat elsewhere.
“Additionally, being linked with a prime workforce, a bit like [Nyck] de Vries was with Mercedes, you’re dwelling with a prime workforce – I really feel such as you’re extra, I don’t wish to use the phrase relevance, however you’re sort of extra recognised and fewer forgotten.
“So there’s lots of issues.”
Ricciardo broke down his position inside the Purple Bull workforce, saying that whereas he’ll nonetheless be round it additionally offers him freedom away from the game.
“I’m not going to do each race,” Ricciardo stated.
“I nonetheless need that point to myself, however I’ll nonetheless be at some races, do some sim, hear and attempt to lend my expertise and stuff and if I might help, certain, that’s a terrific factor.
“If I can do any type of testing, that may be good simply to remain additionally car-fit.
“So it’s sort of simply being in sufficient the place I’m nonetheless maintaining updated, so to talk, however then that is sufficient eliminated the place it does give me that break.
“And I’m certain once I’m on the races watching I’ll be envious I’m not on the observe, so this stuff will in all probability feed me in a great way.”
Piastri confirmed why McLaren took the possibility on the rising star on his first official day as a System 1 driver as he upstaged Norris.
The 21-year-old was spectacular in his time on circuit through the official post-season testing occasion in Abu Dhabi and bested his teammate — one thing Daniel Ricciardo was unable to do in 2022 — by greater than 0.5 seconds.
Each McLaren drivers accomplished greater than 100 laps.
It was a good higher day for Aussie teenager Jack Doohan, who went faster than each the McLaren drivers, ending eleventh quickest general as Alpine’s reserve driver for 2023.
“ first day with McLaren, I believe we learnt lots,” Piastri stated.
“It was nice to lastly be a part of up with the workforce, and because of them for a great day of operating.
“We did lots of laps and experimented lots, which is precisely what right this moment is all about.
“I’ve obtained a good suggestion the place to enhance for subsequent yr, I actually loved it, it’s good to lastly be again out on observe lastly and expertise the 2022 vehicles.
“I’m trying ahead to subsequent yr now. I’ll be within the manufacturing unit subsequent week to fulfill the entire workforce, after that I’ll take a brief break earlier than getting again to work with McLaren to organize for subsequent yr.”
