Daniel Ricciardo F1 paddock return confirmed

Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has confirmed Daniel Ricciardo’s paddock return at the Australian Grand Prix, despite the 35-year-old's axe from Formula 1.

The Milton Keynes-based squad recently replaced Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda, after the Kiwi racer endured a dismal start to the 2025 season and emerged without a single point from the opening two rounds.

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Red Bull’s change is the latest in a long line of driver swaps, with Sergio Perez axed from the team at the end of 2024 and Daniel Ricciardo sacked after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.

When asked by the Dutch version of Motorsport.com if Red Bull considered bringing Ricciardo back following Lawson's axe, Marko claimed it was never considered whilst also revealing the Aussie briefly returned to the paddock in Melbourne.

"No, that was never considered. Daniel has driven his last race and has stayed away from Formula 1 since then. He was there briefly in Australia, but I think he was gone again on Thursday. This was never a topic,” he said.

Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career over

Marko suggested that Ricciardo had competed in his ‘last race’ with the Red Bull family back in 2024, and could be final confirmation Ricciardo will not race again in F1.

The 35-year-old already hinted himself that he was done with the sport, after a fan video emerged from his Enchante pop-up event in New York at the end of last year.

Following the announcement that Cadillac would be joining the F1 grid in 2026, it opened up speculation that Ricciardo could make a return to the sport with the 11th team.

However, when this question was posed to Ricciardo by a fan he replied with a simple ‘I’m done’, which suggests we may not see the eight-time grand prix winner back on track competing in a F1 car.

READ MORE: Sergio Perez RETURN seriously considered by F1 team

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