F1: Daniel Ricciardo takes Nyck De Vries’ seat at AlphaTauri for rest of season

FILE PHOTO: Red Bull reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

Australian Daniel Ricciardo has joined the AlphaTauri Formula One team on loan from Red Bull Racing for the rest of the 2023 season, taking Nyck de Vries’s seat from the Hungarian Grand Prix next week, the team announced on Tuesday.

Ricciardo raced for Red Bull from 2014 to 2018, winning seven races, after two seasons with sister team Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) from 2012-13.

He was spending a year on the sidelines as Red Bull reserve after being replaced at McLaren by compatriot Oscar Piastri but has been called up by AlphaTauri after Nyck de Vries failed to impress, sitting bottom of the drivers’ standings.

“I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team,” AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost said.

“There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straight forward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner.

“I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri and I wish him all the best for the future.”

De Vries had a dream debut in F1 last year when he scored points for Williams with a ninth-place finish in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

However, he has not finished in the top 10 even once this season in 10 rounds.