Ricciardo open to AlphaTauri drive if he can't land 'fairytale' Red Bull return

Having had his McLaren contract terminated a year early following an unsuccessful two-season stint with the team, Ricciardo signed as Red Bull’s reserve driver for 2023. 

The Australian has his eyes fixed on a dream drive with Red Bull to reunite with Max Verstappen, who he previously partnered at the team between 2016 and 2018. 

But Ricciardo is also open to the prospect of racing for Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri in 2024, according to ESPN. 

"This for me would be like the fairytale,” Ricciardo told ESPN about potentially racing for Red Bull again. 

“Honestly, the fairytale ending [would be] to finish my career here if I could have it all my own way.

"But we'll see. I'll probably have to work my way up a little bit but it's really nice to be back here.”

An AlphaTauri drive may be the more likely scenario given that Sergio Perez, the current holder of the second Red Bull seat, is under contract until the end of 2024. 

Outside of Red Bull, Ricciardo’s options for a competitive seat appear scarce. 

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are both tied down at Ferrari for another year, while Lewis Hamilton is expected to sign a contract extension with Mercedes to end the long-running saga surrounding his F1 future. 

Eight-time grand prix winner Ricciardo had previously insisted that he was only interested in driving for a front-running team. 

He is set to drive Red Bull’s dominant RB19 for the first time during a Pirelli tyre test at Silverstone following the British Grand Prix.