34-year-old driver admits it’s his ‘dream’ to finish his F1 career as a Red Bull driver

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AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that it’s his dream to finish his Formula 1 career as a Red Bull Racing driver.

Ricciardo was speaking on the Beyond The Grid off the back of a very eventful year for the Australian.

After a difficult 2022 campaign with McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo lost his race seat at the Woking-based team to fellow countryman Oscar Piastri.

He was hired by his Red Bull to act as their reserve and simulator driver and became a fixture in the paddock behind the scenes at the beginning of the season.

However, speculation started to mount that he might return to F1 sooner than expected with Nyck de Vries struggling in the AlphaTauri.

After 10 races, he was dropped for the experienced Australian, although he was then replaced himself by Liam Lawson for five Grand Prix after breaking his hand.

The 34-year-old did enough to earn himself a full-time contract for the upcoming 2024 campaign alongside Yuki Tsunoda.

However, that’s not the end goal for Ricciardo, who has admitted that the ultimate dream is to return to Red Bull’s senior team.

He’s previously been linked with replacing Sergio Perez during a particularly difficult spell this year.

They’ve stuck by the Mexican for now, but considering his contract runs out in 12 months, that opportunity might open up sooner rather than later.

Ricciardo still has Red Bull dream

Journalist Tom Clarkson asked the Australian driver: “What’s the end game here DR? Is it the Red Bull Racing seat for 2025?”

Ricciardo replied: “I’m not even going to put a day or date on it or year, that is coming back into it, and yeah jumping back in with the Red Bull family, like doing the test in July, doing all these things.

“Getting back working with Simon [Rennie] again, that’s really the dream.

“To end my career as a Red Bull driver would be perfect. Not that I’m looking at the end, but if I got back there, then I’d certainly make sure I finish there.”

For Ricciardo to achieve his dream of returning to Red Bull, he needs to be at the top of his game in 2024.

While Yuki Tsunoda had a lot more time in the car than Ricciardo, he also outperformed his teammate for much of the time they drove together.

The 34-year-old’s performance in Mexico City has to be the benchmark going into next year after putting in a stunning display in qualifying and coming away with a handful of points.

With AlphaTauri – under a new name for 2024 – working more closely with Red Bull going into next year, that should improve their standing on the grid.

It’s up to Ricciardo and Tsunoda to get the most out of the new car and potentially put Sergio Perez under pressure.