Horner: 'Ricciardo had success at Red Bull, but then he did something stupid'

After a four-year 'getaway', Daniel Ricciardo will return to Red Bull Racing in 2023, albeit in the role of third driver. Christian Horner welcomed his former driver with open arms, joking that Ricciardo did 'something stupid' when he left the team after the 2018 Formula 1 season.

Horner thinks Ricciardo made a mistake

"Daniel joined us as a teenager and he grew up with the team here," Horner said in conversation with The Mirror. "He had some great success here with us, and then he went and did something stupid and went to drive for a couple of other teams and it never quite worked out." However, the Red Bull team boss is happy to have Ricciardo back with the team.

He continued: "Daniel is such a great personality and big character. We felt it was right to bring him back into the team. For him, he will be able to get back to having fun and rediscover his enjoyment of being a Formula 1 driver, rather than the stress he has had over the last couple of years."

Ricciardo spent five years at Red Bull after switching from sister team Toro Rosso in 2014. However, the emergence of Max Verstappen did not add to his motivation to stay with the team, no matter how well the duo got along. The Australian moved to Renault, but swapped that team for McLaren after two years.

However, the Woking-based team did not prove to be a successful choice for Ricciardo, who was mostly outclassed by teammate Lando Norris. In 2022, McLaren decided to end the driver's contract early through a commutation payment, clearing the way for Oscar Piastri. After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Red Bull announced that Ricciardo will join the team as its third driver next year.