Marko lets slip that Ricciardo will be Red Bull's third driver

Speaking in an interview with Sky Germany on Friday at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Marko revealed that Ricciardo will return to Red Bull following his looming McLaren exit. 

Ricciardo had his McLaren contract terminated a year early due to his underwhelming performances alongside Lando Norris, with the Australian to be replaced by Oscar Piastri next season. 

"Ricciardo will be our third driver," said Marko. "We have so many sponsors, we have to do show runs and the like, so of course he's one of the most high-profile and best-suited."

Liam Lawson is set to continue to act as reserve driver for Red Bull and their sister team AlphaTauri in 2023, with Ricciardo joining in a third driver capacity. 

Red-Bull-Rückkehr!

Überraschung eben im Interview zwischen Peter und Dr. Helmut Marko: Ricciardo bleibt uns erhalten! Wenn auch "nur" als Ersatzfahrer. #SkyF1 #F1 #Formel1 #Ricciardo #RedBull #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/LefjhnMzHV

— Sky Sport Formel 1 (@skysportformel1) November 18, 2022

Ricciardo drove for Red Bull between 2014 and 2018 before leaving to join Renault for the 2019 season. 

At last weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Ricciardo denied that he had already signed a deal with Red Bull, having also held talks with Mercedes about their yet-to-be-filled reserve position for 2023. 

Ricciardo is eyeing a full-time return to the F1 grid for 2024. 

Red Bull’s current drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are contracted to the team until the end of 2028 and 2024 respectively.