RICCIARDO EXPECTED TO RETURN TO TEST ROLE AT RED BULL
Ousted McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo is expected to ink a deal with Red Bull imminently to become its test and reserve driver.
The Australian, who raced for Red
Bull from 2014 to 2018, is assessing his options and Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko told German press last week that the 33-year-old’s new role was due to be rubber-stamped soon.
Ricciardo’s role is likely to include promotional and simulator work as well as being the reserve driver. The Australian finished ninth on his final outing with McLaren at Abu Dhabi last weekend.
Ricciardo told Autosport: “It’s obviously been pretty tiring the last couple of years with the struggles, so it was pretty clear to me shortly after the summer break that, that was what I wanted, and what was going to be best for me.
“So then it was: ‘OK. What’s the next best thing?’And the more I thought about it, to obviously be involved to some degree with a top team, that was obviously the preference.
“But it’s not done. So that’s why
I haven’t come out and confirmed it, because that’s still the truth: it’s not done. But I can obviously look you in the eye now and say it’s the most likely option at this stage.”