Ricciardo: Signs pointing toward a return to F1 grid

Daniel Ricciardo seems to believe there's a clear path for him to reclaim a Formula 1 seat.

"The signs are pointing towards getting back on the grid," the Aussie said Thursday ahead of this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, according to Laurence Edmondson of ESPN.

He added, "It's only been a few months (out of F1), but I think some itches have been scratched, so to speak. I've actually weirdly found that the days that I've had no schedule are the days when I've actually done training, and I've done things like I would before.

"So I don't know, being my own boss, writing my own schedule has actually brought out a lot of the things in me when I thought I might just sit on the couch and watch movies all day and eat junk food, I'm just not. That's not me."

Ricciardo currently serves as Red Bull's reserve driver, able to fill in for Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez if needed.

After getting his start in F1 with HRT in 2011, Ricciardo was signed by Red Bull's farm team Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) the following season. He wound up earning a seat with Red Bull in 2014, going on to win seven races during his tenure with the team before departing for Renault following the 2018 season.

Over the past four seasons, though, the 33-year-old struggled to provide results, winning one race and reaching two other podiums between Renault and McLaren before the latter bought out his contract last year.