The veteran driver will be back behind the wheel for a tyre test following the F1 British Grand Prix, a rare opportunity for him in the car this season.

It is a crucial moment for Ricciardo, now Red Bull’s third driver, to impress ahead of his desired comeback.

“We will have Ricciardo in the car for three days after Silverstone at the tyre test and then you can evaluate where Ricciardo really stands,” Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko told ORF.

It comes at a time when Max Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez has let his good form slip away.

After two grand prix wins earlier this season, Perez has finished P16, P4 and P6 in the most recent races.

As the teammate of the two-time world champion, Perez is constantly under the microscope, particularly when the volatility of their relationship occasionally spills over.

Marko said about Perez’s Red Bull career: “His initial target was two, three years, which would be more than he planned anyway, and you just have to keep options open for the succession.”

Those words could be music to the ears of the popular Australian Ricciardo.

He lost his McLaren seat last season and rejected offers from Haas to stay on the grid in favour of a third driver role at a major team, hoping it would result in a high-profile return.

Three days driving the RB19 next month gives him his best chance yet to show what he can do.

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