The news was officially confirmed on Wednesday by AlphaTauri, with Ricciardo saying it is ‘good to be back’ behind the wheel.
Having lost his seat at McLaren last year, the Aussie returned to grid in July after Red Bull’s sister team axed the struggling Nyck de Vries after just 10 races.
His comeback was short-lived however, after a crash during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix in August left the driver with a broken left hand, though after quickly undergoing surgery it was hoped that he wouldn’t be out for too long.
But the 34-year-old’s rehab took longer than expected, ruling him out for five races with rookie Liam Lawson stepping into his car and performing superbly in his absence.
But now, Ricciardo is finally back in the cockpit in time for one of his favourite races on the calendar in Austin, Texas, saying: ‘It’s good to be back! My hand is much better, and the simulator was a useful way of assessing it.
‘I tried it out in the week before Qatar, but I didn’t feel it was at full potential, so I spent the rest of that week in the UK, spending more time in the sim, and got to a point where I felt ready to go.
‘My overall fitness is fine as I kept training as much as I could, although I obviously couldn’t do much with my left hand or arm for a while.
‘It was definitely frustrating watching the past few races, especially as I’d gotten myself to a place where I was so ready to go again and race, and then I did two events and had to hit “Pause” again, but actually, the time without racing went quite quickly.’
It is no secret that Ricciardo is aiming to return to champions Red Bull in the future and though the eight-time race winner has a fantastic reputation it remains to be see whether his injury will hamper his abilities.
AlphaTauri have already confirmed that he will be racing for them in 2024 alongside Yuki Tsunoda, with Lawson disappointingly missing out.
Ricciardo is one of just three drivers yet to score a point in 2023, alongside De Vries and Williams’ Logan Sargeant, and there are just five races left of the season.
‘The current car has moved on a bit since I last drove it, but the sim was useful to get an idea of what the changes and updates have delivered,’ he added.
‘I felt a little bit of their effect, but it’s one of those things I think, once I get on track, I’ll feel them to their full effect. I was there in Singapore when they tried it the first time, and it was interesting to hear the feedback and comments, which were mostly positive. So, I’m excited to see what it’s like first-hand.
‘As for this weekend, I’ve always enjoyed Austin. It’s very unique for a modern-day circuit, and the undulations and bumps mean it’s physical. It does beat you up, but I think I like that.
‘I like the challenge. A lot of the apexes are quite wide as well, so there are some peculiar corners which make the track exceptional and stand out.’
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