Daniel Ricciardo will be racing with AlphaTauri for 2024 with hopes of returning to the Bulls for 2025, however, Alan Jones doesn’t think this will be the case…
Alan Jones, the F1 world champion, has shared his thoughts on Ricciardo’s future, suggesting that he may have missed his opportunity with the team.
Last December, Ricciardo made the decision to leave McLaren and return to Red Bull. Initially, he was set to be their reserve driver, but things took a surprising turn, and he ended up securing a seat with AlphaTauri.
During the Japanese Grand Prix, it was officially announced that Ricciardo would be staying with the sister team for the 2024 season. However, this news also raised concerns for Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver had been struggling in the RB19 and failing to match his talented teammate. As a result, rumors began to circulate that Perez might be replaced.
Considering that Perez’s contract expires next season, there is a potential opportunity for Ricciardo to make a comeback to the Milton Keynes team.
Nevertheless, Alan Jones, a renowned figure in Australia, holds a different perspective on Ricciardo’s aspirations for a fairytale ending.
In an interview with Wide World of Sports, Jones shares his thoughts on Ricciardo’s future.
According to Jones, it seems that Ricciardo may have missed his chance in that particular domain.
Sergio, on the other hand, has another year with the team, and there’s always a promising young talent waiting to seize that opportunity.
Jones sincerely believes that Daniel has likely forfeited his opportunity to return to Red Bull.
A better version of Ricciardo for 2024
Ricciardo’s 2023 season was cut short after a unfortunate accident during practice for Zandvoort, allowing him to only participate in seven races. However, Jones believes that Ricciardo will come back in 2024 with a fresh perspective and a stronger drive:
“I truly believe that Daniel will come back stronger than ever. He will approach the upcoming year with a different mindset, leaving behind any distractions. In the past, he may have been too focused on external factors rather than solely concentrating on his racing skills.
Jones further explains his thoughts on how Ricciardo may have been too caught up in activities outside of Formula 1, rather than fully dedicating himself to his driving:
“I think he may have been a bit too preoccupied with things outside of the track, rather than keeping his head down and fully focusing on his driving. Perhaps he realized that he was getting slightly sidetracked, not necessarily led astray, but his mind was wandering towards other things instead of Formula 1. He needs to return to the core of his talent, which is driving a Formula 1 car.”
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