Ricciardo is set for his first full season 💮at the Red Bull sister team after making his F1 com🧔eback midway through 2023.

He has transformed from, seemingꩵly, a declining driver lacking confidence tཧo an experienced leader whose best days could still be in front of him.

“He put some engineering direction into the team with the experience he had and that really benefited the Alpha𒀰Tauri team,” Red Bull team pꦍrincipal Horner told the Sky F1 podcast.

“It’s great to see Daniel back in F1. Iꦯt’s something that I was very keen to bring him bac🔯k into the fold over the winter. 

“When he came to us, you could see he was pretty much done with F1, he wasn’t enjoying⭕ it, but slowly that smile came back, that energy came back, and certainly the test in Silverstone for us was truly impressive.&n🌜bsp;

“The work behind the scenes on the simulat♔or as well. He deserved the chance in the AlphaTauri. 

“He was unlucky to break hi𒀰s hand i🌌n Zandvoort but he drove very well this year.”

Ricciardo’s rise - coupled with the midseason struggles of Sergio Perez - means the race is on to secure the role as Max▨ Verstappen’s teammate in 2025.

The job is Perez’s again next year but it is the final year of his contract, and Ricciardo’s assured and 🐓experienced status will provide Horner wit༒h another intriguing option.

He said about Ricciardo and his AlphaTauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda: “T🦩hey’re both Red Bull Racing drivers so they’re both there to be called upon should we need them.

“A🎃lphaTauri is owned by the same shareholders as Red Bull Racing, but of course, the way they operate is independent to Red Bull Racing.&nbsꩲp;

“They take benefit of the parts that are allowed to be transferred like the gearbox 🔴or suspension. In the same way Williams and Aston Martin have done so with Mercedes or Haas with Ferrari. 

“They’re based in Italy but they have new management coming in in Peter Baꩲyer as CEO and Laurent ꦜMekies as team principal. 

“They’re competitive c🃏ars and they want to compete to move the team forward. 

“It has a new drive behind it.💜 Essentially, they’re a customer of Red Bull Racing.” 

Horner said about AlphaTauri’s 202🉐4 car: “It won’t be [a pink Mercedes]. They’re designing their ow🍌n car, they have their own ideas.

“ While they use the same wi𒊎nd tunnel and certain components, not all aerodynamic surfaces as per the regs, they have to conceive and develop themselves.”

But he conceded it could look like the 🤪all-conquering RB19: “I am pret𝕴ty sure a lot of the cars on the grid [will]. 

“If you look at the McLaren, the Aston, you see design influences from our car👍 - I am sure this will be up and down the grid this yea💞r.”