Daniel Ricciardo will make his F1 return at the upcoming Hungarian GP. Confirming recent speculation, AlphaTauri has announced he will replace Nyck de Vries in the team for the rest of the season.

• Nyck de Vries axed after 10 races with AlphaTauri
• Ricciardo returning to F1 after losing his McLaren drive

Ricciardo returns to F1

The news comes just as Ricciardo finally drove the 2023 RB19 as part of a Pirelli tyre test at Silverstone. The Australian driver has been looking to make a full-time F1 return after losing his McLaren drive last year. While there was speculation suggesting he could replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull, sister team AlphaTauri has now confirmed that he’ll be returning to the team he formerly raced for (back when the team was called Toro Rosso) in 2012-2013.

“I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team,” said AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost. “There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straight forward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner. I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri and I wish him all the best for the future.”

AlphaTauri axes De Vries

This also means that Nyck de Vries has been axed after just 10 races this season. The former Formula E and F2 champion impressed in his one-off drive for Williams last year, claiming the ninth place at Monza. However, it’s been a difficult first full season in F1 for the 28-year-old.

AlphaTauri finds itself at the very bottom of the standings and De Vries failed to score any points in the first 10 races. His best finish was 12th place at the Monaco GP.