F1 USA Grand Prix qualifying results, grid: Daniel Ricciardo’s surprise Red Bull reserve driver

Daniel Ricciardo has confirmed he will be in the F1 paddock in 2023 after ‘securing’ a shock role with an unlikely team.

Daniel Ricciardo of Australia is now being linked with a return to Red Bull

Daniel Ricciardo has been linked with a shock move to Red Bull as rumours continue to swirl about his future in the sport.

While the Australian endured a disastrous qualifying session at the USA Grand Prix - finishing 17th - the latest bombshell on F1 trades has him returning to the team he ditched in 2018.

Many believed Ricciardo would be joining Mercedes given Nyck De Vries’ departure, but Sky F1 pundit Ted Kravitz said he has it on good authority a reunion is on the cards.

“I’ve got some good news for Daniel Ricciardo fans,” Kravitz said after Q1.

“He might not have a race seat for next year but we do understand he has closed out the reserve driver seat. He told us on Thursday he will be in the paddock next year.

“We thought Mercedes because they have a vacancy but I’m told it’s not Mercedes which only leaves Red Bull as the team that have a reserve drive on hand at every race.

“It will be quite the return, good to hear when he confirmed to us he will be in the paddock next year.

“Ricciardo wouldn’t say which team but would he serve a purpose at Mercedes?

Daniel Ricciardo of Australia is now being linked with a return to Red Bull

“I thought for him he’d be better having a clean break and then coming back,” Martin Brundle said of the news.

“Maybe it’s just keeping your foot in the door somewhere, doing some simulated work but trudging around a Formula 1 track not participating... you need a pretty tough mindset for that.”Ricciardo’s future has been a hot topic of debate and speculation for months since McLaren terminated his contract 12 months early opting to replace him with Australian rookie Oscar Piastri.

After he was unceremoniously ditched there were five seats available for 2023. There is now one left with Haas.

The American team has issued numerous “call us to chat” please to Ricciardo but the 33-year-old is steadfast on his ambition to race at the front of the grid.

Earlier this race weekend Ricciardo had alluded to what 2023 would bring.

“You will see me around,” Ricciardo said.

“It’s going to look different for me, but there is still very much still a plan in place.

“So, it’s not that I am checking out and saying ‘see you later’, it’s far from that.

“I’m just putting in a plan to honestly try to get me back to the front of the grid and win races and do all the stuff I know I can do.”

WHAT HAPPENED IN AUSTIN?

Starting 16th in Austin marks the third time in five races Ricciardo has not made it out of Q1

“It’s just how it’s gone this year. I knew when I crossed the line I wasn’t good enough. I’m pretty frustrated.

“You can definitely race around here, I look forward to tomorrow but this was not a good session.

“We got the news about Dietrich Mateschitz just before. I want to pay tribute and send my condolences to his family. he played an integral part in my career he was instrumental in getting me where I am.

“I’m sad to hear that news.

“I’m one of thousands of Red Bull athletes that has so much to thank him for, even since 2018 we kept in touch.

“He didn’t like the limelight but if I heard he was at the circuit I would always go and see him. What he built is phenomenal.”

Ricciardo has struggled in recent race weekends and his bosses were left deflated by another session coming up short.

“It’s a big disappointment,” Andreas Seidl said.

“It was not easy for Daniel to get the lap together which is a shame because he has shown some good pace this weekend. It’s not great.”

Carlos Sainz will start on pole after topping the time sheets in the dying moments.

I knew it was coming boys, I knew it,” said Sainz after taking his third pole of the season.

“It was a lot of fun, very tricky with the gusts of wind, but I managed to put together a good lap without mistakes. This pole was a long time coming in the dry - Red Bull is still favourite as they have more race pace,” he added.

His Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was second but is set to move back to 12th owing to a 10-place penalty.

Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez are also serving penalts but just five spots apiece.

HOW THEY START

1: SAI

2: VER

3: HAM

4: RUS

5: STR

6: NOR

7: BOT

8: ALB

9: PER

10: VET

11: GAS

12: LEC

13: TSU

14: ALO

15: MAG

16: RIC

17: OCO

18: MSC

19: ZHO

20: LAT

END OF QUALIFYING

CARLOS SAINZ ON POLE

Q3 FERRARI FLYING

It will be a pride win if Charles Leclerc holds on to this speed. He’s 4 tenths up on Verstappen but he has the penalty so for now it’s a Red Bull lock out but plenty to play out.

Hamilton is now AHEAD of Red Bull which plenty of people weren’t expecting.

And tip of the hat to Stroll who has nudged himself into Q3.

Penalties

Leclerc - 10 places

Alonso - 5 places

Perez - 5 places

DRAMA

Just as I’m writing about this not going well for McLaren, Norris is saved from elimination as Zhou has a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits and is now out.

Gasly is furious, turns 1 and 11 straights into hairpin corners the car is not going well.

END OF Q2

DRIVERS OUT

ZHOU

ALBON

VETTEL

GASLY

TSUNODA

END OF Q1

DRIVERS OUT

For the third time in the last five races Daniel Ricciardo is out in Q1, disaster.

MAG

RIC

OCO

MSC

LAT

9:21AM MASS CHANGES IN 2023

The FIA has announced it will axe its vexed system of rotating race directors and revise Formula One’s sporting regulations in the wake of several alarming incidents at this year’s rain-hit Japanese Grand Prix.

Following a review of the race at Suzuka two weeks ago, where Max Verstappen won to claim his second drivers’ world title for Red Bull, the ruling body determined a raft of key changes.

These include abandoning the policy of rotation of race directors, ensuring that recovery vehicles will only be allowed on track once all cars are lined up behind a Safety Car following an incident, and a revision of the wording of the points distribution at time-limited races.

In its report issued two days before the United States Grand Prix in Texas, the international governing body said: “From the United States Grand Prix in Austin and the following races in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Niels Wittich will assume the position of Race Director with the support of Race Control staff.”

9:08AM Q1

Just putting it out there I’m backing Hamilton for pole - cos why not. He’s due something this season. He bloody loves this track as well.

HAM third in this opening session, don’t forget Leclerc and Perez carry penalties into this race weekend.

9:03AM CARS ON TRACK

Qualifying is underway!

The rule change was encouraged by many drivers frustrated by inconsistencies this year in the wake of the departure of Michael Masi following his irregular handling of the controversial last lap at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, a recovery crane was sent out to collect Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari after he crashed on the opening lap, a move that meant the field were left to snake past with many drivers unaware of the hazard presented by the crane.

The incidents in Japan occurred while Portuguese Eduardo Freitas was acting as Race Director, for the final time.

The FIA’s review statement added that the decision to send out the recovery vehicle was premature in the conditions.

“The panel determined that in hindsight, as the weather conditions were changing, it would have been prudent to have delayed the deployment of the recovery vehicles on track.”

8:28AM RED BULL ROCKED BY SUDDEN DEATH

Red Bull owner and F1 giant Dietrich Mateschitz has died hours before his team took to the track for qualifying at the USA Grand Prix.

There were chaotic scenes outside the Red Bull area just moments before qualifying as Christian Horner gathered every staff member to the hospitality room.

Speculation at the time was that he was set to share news on a salary cap penalty however news soon broke that Mateschitz has passed away.

The 78-year-old had been very unwell for some time.

“It’s really sad news,” Martin Brundle said. “A wonderful man for motorsport.

“He sold toothpaste in Asia and then created this almighty drink and then entered the world of motorsport.

“He has grown it into this incredible racing team. Red Bull turns up all over the world.

“He has been unwell for some time and sadly we now have confirmation of his passing. He was a very private man, he never wanted to be in the spotlight. He always wanted to be behind the scenes.”

Red Bull Racing's British team principal Christian Horner (L) speaks with Dutch driver Max Verstappen

8:03AM FP3

Red Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen was fastest in Saturday’s gusty third and final free practice session for the United States Grand Prix, the Dutchman beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.320 seconds.

Verstappen clocked a best lap in one minute and 35.825 seconds in the final minute of a closely-contested session that saw both Ferraris and both Red Bulls promising race-winning pace.

Carlos Sainz was third for Ferrari ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.

Hamilton will look to take advantage of both Leclerc and Perez in qualifying as both face grid penalties for taking new power unit components.

On another near-perfect, if breezy, day at the Circuit of the Americas, with an air temperature of 29 degrees and the track at 39, Leclerc and Verstappen were quickly setting the pace as the teams focused in earnest on lap times after Friday’s tyre testing.

Ferrari had topped both sessions on the opening day, Sainz in the morning and Leclerc later in the day, but it was more notable for the windy conditions and some of Hamilton’s comments about the bumpy nature of the track.

7AM ANOTHER SEAT GONE FOR 2023

American Logan Sargeant will drive for Williams in the 2023 season, subject to him securing the necessary super licence, team chief Jost Capito said on Saturday.

Sargeant, 21, a Formula Two driver who made his first appearance for the team as a guest tester in Friday’s opening free practice session, could become the first American to race in F1 since Alexander Rossi in 2015.

He will be the 58th American to participate in an F1 Grand Prix, other than the Indianapolis 500, when it was part of the world championship between 1950 and 1960. Two Americans became world champions, Mario Andretti and Phil Hill.

Sargeant is set to join the F1 circus when it is growing rapidly in popularity in the United States where three races are set to take place next season.

He needs to finish fifth or better in the season-ending Abu Dhabi F2 race next month (November) secure his super licence from the International Motoring Federation (FIA).

“We feel he is ready to race and, under the condition that he has enough super licence points after Abu Dhabi, he will be our second driver next year,” said Capito.

“I am a fan of getting young drivers through as quickly as possible in Formula One.

“The series below, compared to Formula One cars, the cars are like truck so get him in as quickly as possible and find out if he is capable to stay in F1 long term, as we believe he is.