BUXTON: Could Ricciardo’s racing return be the first step back to a seat at Red Bull?

With just two weeks and two Grands Prix until the summer break, Formula 1 finds itself entering the time of year simultaneously loved and hated by the F1 fan: Silly Season. As much born of fantastical hope as realistic expectation, it’s the closest thing our sport has to a transfer window.

But in 2023, Silly Season started early with the news last week that Daniel Ricciardo is returning to a race seat with AlphaTauri.