Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner believes Daniel Ricciardo’s return from injury is “less than likely” during next month’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Ricciardo has been out since breaking a bone in his hand following a practice crash at Zandvoort last month.
Following the accident, he underwent surgery, and while his recuperation is going well, there are no intentions to rush Ricciardo back.
Qatar was mentioned as a possible return date for the Australian driver, but it now appears Ricciardo will not participate until the US Grand Prix on October 22 at the earliest.
Horner believed that postponing Ricciardo’s return until Austin would give him more time to prepare for the circuit’s rough characteristics.
When asked if Ricciardo would be in the vehicle in Qatar, Horner said Sky Sports News, “I would say probably less likely than likely at the moment.”
“His recovery is going well, but he’s fixed in the seat for next year; does he need to rush back for Qatar when Austin is a hell of a bumpy circuit anyway? It might be better to use that time in preparation for Austin.”
“I know he’s got his sights fixed on Qatar, he’ll drive the simulator next week and then we’ll make some decisions based on that.”
Red Bull sent in rookie driver Liam Lawson as a stand-in for Ricciardo until the eight-time grand prix champion was fit enough to return, and the Kiwi impressed during his four sub appearances for AlphaTauri.
Lawson qualified and finished in the top ten at the Singapore Grand Prix, and he has finished ahead of regular driver Yuki Tsunoda in every race.
Despite receiving plaudits for his efforts, Lawson was unable to secure a place for 2024, and will return to a reserve role at Red Bull.
When asked if Lawson had been promised a drive in 2025, Horner answered, “There are no guarantees in life.” He’s done an excellent job, and he’s really pleased us.
“He’s done exactly what we could have asked for in terms of seizing the opportunity to demonstrate his ability in Daniel’s absence.” That has gotten him a lot of attention, and it has served him well.
“We’ll keep developing him when he goes back into that test and reserve role and he’ll be a candidate certainly for 2025.”
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