Daniel Ricciardo, like nearly all Formula 1 drivers, is not exactly the shy and retiring type.
When he’s asked about a possible return to the main Red Bull racing team alongside world champion Max Verstappen, the 34-year-old doesn’t shirk the question.
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Speculation has been bubbling along for months about the hottest seat in F1, alongside Verstappen, who has sealed a third straight world title in a record-breaking 2023.
It is currently occupied by Sergio Perez, of course, who is contracted for 2024 and sits second in this year’s driver standings.
But it has been an extremely difficult year for the Mexican, whose 273 points for the year are less than half that of his Dutch teammate (549 points).
It means just about any driver fit and eligible has been linked with a Red Bull shift, including Australia’s born again “Honey Badger”.
Cut adrift from F1 a year ago, Ricciardo has resurrected his career with Red Bull support outfit AlphaTauri and his close relationship with team boss Christian Horner is well documented.
The West Australian is overjoyed to be in the discussion to replace Perez coming off disappointing and potentially F1 career-ending stints with Renault and McLaren.
“I definitely don’t see it as pressure,” Ricciardo told reporters in Abu Dhabi ahead of the year’s final Grand Prix.
“I think 12 months ago, a lot of the … call it rumour lists, for lack of a better word, were normally negatively directed at me.
“So for me to be in a conversation again, whether it’s a rumour or not about ‘oh, could you be back in a Red Bull one day’, 12 months ago, 18 months ago, I never would have thought that would be a conversation.
”Even if it is just a rumour, I just didn’t think a rumour like that would exist.
“I think that just makes me smile. It gives me a lot of encouragement that just through the highs and the lows, the ups and downs, if you stay on the straight and narrow, crazy things can happen.”
Ricciardo has both the AlphaTauri’s best result of the year, a seventh in Mexico, plus a broken hand that dented his progress in a rollercoaster second half of the season.
A Red Bull return would clearly cap off that “fairytale”, but he’s grateful just to have a guaranteed drive with his current team next year.
“I think that’s really also just part of this kind of comeback and (my attitude to) this return is, I’m just going to give it all I’ve got and if something crazy happens, that’s really cool,” he said.
“I think I’ll take it in my stride and whatever, but I’m also not getting ahead of myself with that.
“I’ve said that would be a fairytale kind of way to finish my career, as a Red Bull driver, but I still use the word ‘fairytale’ because I know that it’s certainly not even close to being guaranteed or anything.
“I just want to kick some butt here. Very happy I’ve got a seat next year, I’m very happy that they signed me when I was on the sideline crying about my hand.
“Ultimately just happy to be back in the family and even if it’s not the big team, I’m just in a very happy place being here.”