Daniel Ricciardo got Formula 1 fans excited as he dropped a hint about his future in a brief chat with Ted Kravitz.
The Sky Sports pit lane reporter was presenting his usual Ted's Notebook show after qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday when he spotted Ricciardo. When the Aussie was between interviews, he snuck in for a brief chat.
As the French TV reporter Ricciardo was supposed to be speaking with looked on bemused, Kravitz made the most of the brief time he had with the racer. It is the 33-year-old's first appearance in the F1 paddock this year, in his role as Red Bull reserve.
"Hey Ted, quali was exciting," said Ricciardo. Kravitz joked about how the Aussie had looked lonely on the pit wall, to which the racer replied: "I look good in these colours though, it's alright. I can do it for a year, it's all good. It's not forever."
That was the end of the conversation as the French reporter continued to make animated gestures that Ricciardo needed to sit down with them. But it was enough for fans on social media to get excited – particularly about those final few words.
Many took it as a hint that Ricciardo is confident that he will be able to land a race seat for 2024 and return to the grid. @Formula_Nerds couldn't help but speculate that it might mean "a return coming" for the former McLaren man.
It remains to be seen who might take a punt on Ricciardo, who will be 34 by the start of next season. Haas chief Guenther Steiner said earlier this weekend that he would be open to the idea of considering him for a seat if his current pairing does not work out.
He said: "It's a bit early to speak about a driver change already for next year so let's see what we are doing with these drivers. For sure, at some point, maybe I'll speak with him, but I cannot promise anything because if our two guys do a good job, I think [that's] where I stand with it."
He added that "everybody is going to want to speak with Daniel", and he could well be right. Otmar Szafnauer also admitted that Alpine considered Ricciardo before opting for Pierre Gasly, while several other teams could be looking for a change of drivers later this season.
