Ricciardo was replaced by Oscar Piastri at McLaren for the 2023 season, which left him without a drive and saw him return to the Red Bull family as a reserve driver.Following a disappointing full-time debut from Nick de Vries at Alpha Tauri, Ricciardo was offered a lifeline for his F1 career, and rejoined the grid with Red Bull’s sister team now known as VCARB.However, Ricciardo failed to return to his previous form during the 2024 season, and was comprehensively bested by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.A P18 result in Singapore was enough to seal the Australian’s fate, and he was replaced by Liam Lawson for the remainder of the season.Speaking after his axing, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner revealed how important Ricciardo was for the team, and claimed there was still a spot for him at the team in a marketing or ambassadorial capacity.”Daniel grew up with Red Bull. He’s taking some time out at the moment, but he’d be very welcome anytime to be part of whatever role he’s elected to want to get involved in,” Horner said.”He has a massive profile, and you’re a long-time retired. So, if he chose to want to get involved in some activities in the US in any way, it’s something we’d be very open to.”However, Ricciardo has not retained ties with the company since leaving F1, and reports in German media have suggested he could receive an offer from a rival team.Cadillac F1 are reportedly interested in acquiring Ricciardo’s signature, but the 35-year-old discredited this rumour in a viral TikTok video where he was asked by a fan if he would be joining the team.”Nah I’m done,” Ricciardo responded, in what appears to be a confirmation from the driver that he will not be returning to Red Bull or any other F1 team.
