Daniel Ricciardo is set to return to Red Bull as the team’s third and reserve driver for the 2023 season, ESPN can confirm.
ESPN understands the deal will be confirmed on Sunday, bringing the Australian back to the team he left in 2018.
Ricciardo’s role is expected to be third and reserve driver, meaning it will include commercial obligations, demonstration runs and mean he will be a back-up should Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez be unable to compete at certain races next year.
On Friday, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko told Sky Germany: “Ricciardo will be our third driver.
“We have so many sponsors, we have to do show runs and the like, so of course he’s one of the most high-profile and best-suited.”
There has been speculation Red Bull junior Liam Lawson will be reserve driver next season, but it remains unclear whether he will share that role with Ricciardo or not. Full details will be revealed on Sunday.
Ricciardo was left without a 2023 race seat after McLaren cut his three-year contract short one season early, with the Australian failing to meet expectations.
A return to Alpine did not materialise, while Ricciardo had no interest in racing with Haas or Williams next year.
He has vowed to come back to racing in 2024 “with a vengeance”.
Although his return to Red Bull, the team he infamously left in 2019, might be seen as a sign Sergio Perez is under pressure, the Mexican driver is under contract until the end of the 2024 season.