Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has announced that Daniel Ricciardo will be joining the team he drove for in 2014 and 2018.

Single RedBull carPhoto: Alessio De Marco/LiveMedia/Shutterstock Editorial/Profimedia

Daniel Ricciardo, reserve pilot of Red Bull

Horner said that Ricciardo will be a back-up for Red Bull’s main drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. The decision may come as a surprise given that the Australian was considering taking a year off after parting ways with McLaren.

“We haven’t signed anything yet, but Helmut (team advisor) has already announced in the excitement that has arisen. Daniel will join us unless he decides not to sign at the last minute. He’s a great character and I’m disappointed to see his performances this season. I know he wanted much more.

But he remains one of the most famous names and characters in Formula 1. He was a Red Bull junior, so he has a history behind him. Considering the demands on drivers today, I think we are very active as a team and we do very good marketing with a lot of races and events.

Having a driver of Daniel’s profile who has a history with the team is a plus for us. It also helps him because he’s in touch with Formula 1. Obviously we’ll rely on him and maybe send him to some races if he signs the contract.” – Christian Hornerat the pre-race press conference in Abu Dhabi.