May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; RB driver Daniel Ricciardo (3) walks in the paddock before the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

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Is Daniel Ricciardo Returning to F1? Helmut Marko Responds

Helmut Marko reveals crucial information about Daniel Ricciardo's return to F1.

Daniel Ricciardo left Formula 1 after his exit from Red Bull, post the Singapore GP in 2024. Ricciardo was replaced in favor of Liam Lawson who produced better performance at VACRB compared to Ricciardo. The Honey Badger was an essential part of Formula 1 since his debut in 2011. He was a part of the famed Red Bull junior driver program and raced for Torro Rosso in F1 from 2012-13. Danny Ric was promoted to Red Bull Racing in 2014 after retirement of Mark Webber. He was an instant hit in the team and successfully beat his four-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel.

The Honey Badger was remarkable at Red Bull until the 2018 season. He acquired seven wins and was considered a future world champion. Ricciardo’s driving style clashed with Max Verstappen in his final season at Red Bull. He spent the following seasons racing for Renault and McLaren. Ricciardo was released early from his McLaren contract in 2021. He spent a year away from F1 to join Red Bull once again racing for them in VCARB in the 2023 season.

Was Daniel Ricciardo Ever Considered for the Red Bull Seat?

Amongst the drama created by Red Bull in the paddock considering their driver changes, there was no mention of Daniel Ricciardo. The Honey Badger was among the strongest contenders for the second seat at Red Bull in 2024. However, his sacking completely diminished his chances of return to Red Bull Racing again. The 2025 season brought forth the same problem for the Red Bulls, but this time they have let Tsunoda pilot the second seat forward alongside Max Verstappen. Daniel Ricciardo has become a thing of past. It seems like he was not considered as probable driver for Red Bull ever again.

A Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull return was never considered by Helmut Marko 😞 pic.twitter.com/pN6lu66FJa
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) April 1, 2025

Here’s what Helmut Marko had to say about Ricciardo’s potential return to F1-

“No, that was never considered,” Marko told the Dutch edition of Motorsport.com. “Daniel did his last race and has stayed away from Formula 1 since then. He was there briefly in Australia, but I think he was gone again on Thursday. This was never an issue.”

Daniel Ricciardo had indeed visited the paddock at the season opener in 2025. However, it seems like the Honey Badger was not there to affirm his affiliations with F1. He has not mentioned any news about his future in motorsports. Ricciardo is currently busy with setting up his own liqour brand.

Daniel Ricciardo

Formula 1

Helmut Marko

Red Bull Racing

Rohan Singh

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.