Formula One news: Christian Horner’s praise for Ricciardo, Piastri regrets
Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed his Oscar Piastri regrets while offering some advice regarding Daniel Ricciardo’s merits.
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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says if he was in charge at Alpine, Daniel Ricciardo would have a seat on the Formula One grid next season.
Horner was at the helm when Ricciardo drove for Red Bull from 2014-18, before the Aussie defected to Renault once it became clear Max Verstappen was the favoured driver at Milton Keynes.
The West Australian drove strongly at Renault for two seasons before switching to McLaren, where the wheels have fallen off his Formula One career and he now finds himself without a seat for 2023.
Alpine – formerly Renault – is still in the hunt for a driver to fill the seat of the outgoing Fernando Alonso and though Ricciardo was initially linked to his former team that talk has cooled, with a host of names including rookie Australian Jack Doohan now vying for a start opposite Esteban Ocon.
Speaking on the F1: Beyond The Grid podcast, Horner said Ricciardo was still a driver capable of taking wins and podiums and if he was at Alpine, that spare seat would go to the veteran Aussie driver.
“I think I probably would (go with Ricciardo) to be honest with you,” Horner said.
“They obviously know him from a couple of seasons ago and he was very together during his last season there, scoring podiums, and I think he’s the type of guy that, I think you could rebuild him.
“It’s obviously not been a great experience for him (at McLaren) for whatever reason but you just have to think back to some of the drives that he did for us, some of the wins he had, the podiums, some of the stunning overtakes he was capable off … that’s still in there I’m sure, he just needs a bit of a reset.
“You don’t just forget how to deliver so I hope for him he gets another opportunity and gets himself back on the grid for next year.”
Ricciardo returned home to Perth to refresh ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix next weekend. He told News Corp this week he still does not have a contract for next season but that he was “at peace with whatever the outcome is.”
Another Aussie on Horner’s mind is young rookie Oscar Piastri, who will take Ricciardo’s place at McLaren in 2023.
The 21-year-old Melburnian is finally free of the bitter contract saga between Alpine and McLaren for his services and Horner revealed he had regrets over not chasing the Formula 3 and Formula 2 champion to drive at Red Bull.
“There was an opportunity for Red Bull to look at him at the time and we didn’t take up that option which is something I regret. What he went on to achieve is phenomenal, in Formula 3 and Formula 2,” Horner said.
“The only thing that he now has to deal with is the expectation on him will be immense.
“He’s going to have to get in and deliver against Lando (Norris) which is no mean feat. You either sink or swim in this business but he’s a very capable driver and I’m sure he’s going to do very well.”
F1 CALENDAR REVEALED BUT WILL RICCIARDO DRIVE?
Formula One provisionally added a first race in Las Vegas to the 2023 schedule taking the total to a record 24 but it remains to be seen if Daniel Ricciardo will be on the grid.
The season will start in Bahrain on March 5 and finish in Abu Dhabi, more than nine months later on November 26 Las Vegas will be the penultimate round as F1 quickly adds a third race in the United States after Miami joined the schedule this season.
The Las Vegas race is subject to “homologation”, or official approval of the circuit by FIA, the motor sports governing body.
The Chinese Grand Prix, last raced in 2019, returns as does the Qatar Grand Prix at Losail, which made its debut in 2021 but is not being raced this year.
The French Grand Prix, first raced in 1906, making it the oldest Grand Prix, is dropped. It was previously dropped between 2009 and 2017 before returning at Le Castellet.
The Sochi Grand Prix, scratched this year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, does not return.
Two races considered under threat — Belgium and Monaco — are retained.
“Formula 1 has unprecedented demand to host races and it is important we get the balance right for the entire sport,” said Formula One president Stefano Domenicali.
The global distribution of races continues to shift.
There are nine in Europe, eight in Asia, four in North America and one each in South America and Australia.
“The presence of 24 races on the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a global scale,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem FIA president.
Having had his contract with McLaren terminated, Ricciardo’s future in the sport is yet to be confirmed with the Australian open to taking a year out from the sport.
Alpine and Haas remain is two best chances of a drive in 2023 but rumours have swirled that he could join Mercedes as a reserve driver.
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