Daniel Ricciardo’s potential return to the grid continues to build.
The Aussie Formula 1 star opted to take effectively a gap year following a horror two-year stint at McLaren.
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After the final year of his contract was discarded by McLaren boss Zak Brown, rumours swirled over where Ricciardo could land for the 2023 season.
Ultimately the Perth native elected to take a step back and move into a reserve driver role at his old stomping ground.
Ricciardo rejoined Red Bull to back up Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez instead of taking a potential seat with a team in the middle to back end of the grid.
The 33-year-old has however been in the thick of the rumour mill as speculation surrounding his future in the sport continues to mount.
Now one team boss has revealed he held private discussions with the Aussie star in the lead up to the Australian Grand Prix.
The third race on the calendar was Ricciardo’s first time back in the paddock as fans Down Under lapped up seeing their hero parade around with his infectious smile on full display.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner revealed he had spoken with the Aussie prior to the Formula 1 paddock landing Down Under.
Steiner drew worldwide notoriety thanks to his antics in Netflix’s smash hit series Drive to Survive.
The Haas boss left the door ajar for Ricciardo to join the team for the 2023 season, however it was salary demands that saw the team baulk at ultimately sending him a contract offer.
But the two again crossed paths and held discussions on the plane ride to Australia, but Steiner confirmed talks about his 2024 plans weren’t mentioned.
“Not at the moment, Daniel’s with Red Bull, I don’t know for how long. I actually was with Danny on the plane to Australia so we had a little bit of a chat. Not about the contract just about general life, we didn’t even go there to be honest,” Steiner told Sky Sports News.
“I don’t know, Danny wanted to take a year out and then see what he wants to do next and I think when he’s ready he will phone people up and say ‘I’m ready again.’”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes the love of being behind the wheel will fuel Ricciardo and see him back on the grid, saying the Aussie is ready to go if required.
“I’d say he’s about 10 minutes away from being ready! He’s in good shape; he’s kept himself fit and well. I think that he’s training hard and he’s ready to go given the chance,” Horner said.
“Daniel’s just a positive energy to have around and it’s great to see him getting his mojo back, to see that big smile on his face – he lights up a room when he walks in.
“His popularity in Formula One … even though he’s not driving, he’s still probably the most popular driver here, and for us, it’s just positive to have him in the team, contributing to the team, to the drivers, to the engineering team. Hopefully he’ll rediscover his love for the sport. He’ll do a bit of testing for us later in the year and we’ll see how that how that goes for him.
“But I think it’s a different experience. He’s thrown himself [in] and [is] embracing this new role.”