Max Verstappen would welcome Daniel Ricciardo rejoining Red Bull Racing, saying he never wanted the Australian to leave in the first place.
Ricciardo left RBR at the end of 2018, in part because he felt the team was increasingly moulding itself around the nascent Verstappen, who’s since won two world titles and has one hand on a third.
The Australian attempted to set himself up as Renault’s team leader, but he made the ill-fated defection to McLaren after only two campaigns, resulting in his sacking late last year.
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He returned to the Red Bull program as a reserve driver this season and will replace AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries full-time from this weekend.
Ricciardo’s stated aim is to recapture the Red Bull Racing seat he vacated almost five years ago, which would come at Sergio Pérez’s expense.
Pérez is out of contract next season but is caught in a dire form slump that’s seen him tumble to 99 points off the title lead.
Verstappen, who enjoys a good relationship with Ricciardo, said he would welcome a reunion, which he admitted was on the cards in the right circumstances.
“I mean, I never actually wanted him to leave,” he said.
“I spoke already quite a bit with Daniel last week. I could see he was very excited, also after driving our car.
“It’s great to have Daniel back on the grid and within the family.
“We know that we get on very well, and if Daniel does well where he is now, then of course you have the opportunity to go back up, right?
“It’s all open, to be honest.”
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Ricciardo’s arrival is tinged with some sadness for axed compatriot De Vries, who Verstappen also counts as a friend.
Rumours last year suggested a good word from the Verstappen camp eased De Vries’s way into the AlphaTauri seat for 2023.
The two-time world champion said it shouldn’t reflect badly on his fellow Dutchman, whose 10-race flop had as much to do with circumstance as a lack of ability.
“I’m also good friends with Nyck, so it’s also sad to see him go, but unfortunately that’s also how this world works,” he said.
“It’s sometimes just the wrong time or the wrong moment when you’re there and it doesn’t work out for you.
“This new generation of cars, when you’re a rookie … they are quite difficult to get on top of. Plus that [AlphaTauri] car probably is not the most competitive.
“I think you just sometimes need these one or two moments where you shine — where you maybe get a point or two points — and these kinds of moments didn’t happen.”
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Verstappen said he wasn’t worried about De Vries finding another seat given his CV as a Formula 2 and Formula E champion and a World Endurance Championship race winner.
“We all know that Nyck is an incredible driver,” he said. “He’s shown that in every single category.
“People sometimes seem to [think] if it doesn’t work out in F1, everything is lost, but it’s not.
“I mean, there are so many great categories out there where you can have a great career and probably even more fun than some places in Formula 1.
“I know that he has a lot of opportunities. I spoke to him last week, we saw each other, and he will definitely find his feet again with a great team somewhere and a great championship.
“I’m sure everyone will land back on their feet like normal, and you move on.
“Now the opportunity is here with Daniel again. He had his little reset … so I think he’s ready to go again.”