Christian Horner envisions Daniel Ricciardo's return to Red Bull by 2025

The Dutchman struggled to enhance his on-track performance and secure points for the team, prompting the change.

Ricciardo had been sidelined for the earlier part of the year, serving as a test and reserve driver for Red Bull after terminating his contract with McLaren ahead of schedule. Eager to return to a top-tier team, the Australian had previously declared his refusal to join any team incapable of winning races.

Horner characterizes the move as a temporary measure for Ricciardo, affirming his intentions to ultimately reclaim a place at Red Bull in the near future.

"At the moment, there's only something in place until the end of the season. There are no thoughts and expectations beyond that," he expressed on the F1 Nation podcast. "We've loaned him to AlphaTauri until the end of the year; obviously, our drivers for next year will be Max and Checo again, but it's always good to have talent in reserve."

Horner elucidates that Ricciardo perceives his stint with AlphaTauri as an opportunity to vie for the coveted Red Bull seat in 2025, referring to it as his "golden objective". "By going to AlphaTauri, I think he sees that as his best route to state his case for 2025," Horner explained.

While Red Bull possess a stable of junior drivers, including Liam Lawson, who presently competes in Super Formula in Japan, Horner deemed Ricciardo a more "interesting option" for the team.

"It was becoming a difficult situation for Nyck de Vries because there was a high expectation on him. Although inexperienced in F1, he's undeniably an experienced driver," said Horner.

"There was a general sentiment that Nyck wasn't quite meeting expectations, and that led us to consider alternative options. From a Red Bull Racing perspective, the most intriguing choice for me was to witness Daniel's performance. Hence, the decision was made swiftly, and here he is for the Hungarian Grand Prix."

Save the Date: Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, Sunday, 23 July.