Daniel Ricciardo will get his first F1 test chance with Red Bull in a current car in Silverstone during the Pirelli tyre test.
Having confirmed his Red Bull show drive for 12 Hours of Nurburgring event at Nordschleife in September in a older F1 car, Ricciardo has now firmed up his test driver in a current spec car as well. He will get his first chance at Silverstone after the British GP.
It is the Pirelli tyre test which the likes of Sebastien Buemi and Alexander Albon have taken part at previous times for Red Bull. Post the Silverstone run, Ricciardo is likely to have another go at Monza after the Italian GP weekend.
“I’ve been in the simulator, but I will drive the RB19 in July after the Silverstone race – I’m getting a Pirelli test,” said Ricciardo to ESPN in an interview. “Then maybe I’ll get another one after Monza as well in September. A couple of months away and I’ll get to feel what it’s like.
“I’m certainly excited to drive a fast car, but also a car that maybe still feels familiar for me – it does a little bit in the sim. But I’m just excited to drive again and to just try to remind a team obviously I once had a lot of success with that I can still turn a fast lap,” summed up Ricciardo.
The Australian has spent days in simulator already and on-track, he has attended the races in Australia and Miami with Red Bull. So far, he is enjoying the process of being away from racing and doing different things that he couldn’t, but he doesn’t want to sit around.
In the coming years, he has still the enthusiasm to get back on track in a F1 car. “I’m definitely still in like a really good place – I’m very happy with this,” said Ricciardo. “Does it mean that I’m happy doing this for the next two or three years? Probably not. But I think for this year it’s certainly a good thing for me.
“I do want to… Right now, I do want to get back on the grid next year. I do feel like there’s certainly some unfinished business. I’m staying like in the loop and staying prepared and whatever. I’m also ticking a few boxes that if I do get back on the grid next year, and I’m on the grid for the next, whatever, five years, for example, maybe there’s things that I won’t get a chance to do. I want to tick some boxes for myself for like some self-fulfilment.”
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