Horner: ‘Ricciardo isn't back because he has long-term plans at AlphaTauri'

Christian Horner was clear in Belgium why Daniel Ricciardo was given a seat at AlphaTauri after the British Grand Prix. The Briton said that this is the Australian driver’s chance to get back his old seat at Red Bull, but also underlined that this would only happen after 2024.

"Well, obviously, the reason that Daniel was brought back into the seat is not because he has long-term aspirations to be an AlphaTauri driver for the next five years. He sees it as the quickest route to getting back into a competitive seat and I think that clearly, his objectives are on a 2025 Red Bull Racing seat, when we have, obviously, a vacancy," Horner commented on Ricciardo’s plans.

He underlined that the Australian will have the chance to get show what he is still capable of. "Now, Daniel has an opportunity between now and the end of the year to demonstrate that he hasn't lost any of his form and then, obviously, a decision will be made whether he remains in that seat for a further 12 months but it would obviously be very clear that AlphaTauri drivers and Toro Rosso before that, drivers have been placed there to develop them as potential Red Bull Racing candidates."

'Not before 2025'

Horner, however, was clear on one aspect of this question: Perez will remain as a Red Bull driver until the end of his contract. "Daniel is very aware of that and that's his objective but that wouldn't be before 2025." Whether Red Bull would actually let Perez stay until the end his contract, that is a separate question, as the the Austrian racing stable is team that can always make sudden changes.