Ricciardo to replace de Vries from Hungarian GP

Daniel Ricciardo will return to the Formula 1 grid from the Hungarian Grand Prix, in place of Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.

After weeks of mounting pressure, de Vries was relieved of driving duties with immediate effect on Tuesday 11th July, two days after a 17th place finish at the British Grand Prix.

He had struggled to match teammate Yuki Tsunoda , with a best finish of 12th in the Monaco Grand Prix with driver boss Helmut Marko publicly warning him to improve performances.

However, after 17th place finish in the British GP, Marko has elected for a change with Ricciardo set to take de Vries' place, "on loan from Red Bull" starting from the Hungarian weekend on July 21st-23rd.

Ricciardo previously drove for AlphaTauri when it was called Toro Rosso between 2012 and 2013, before being promoted to the senior Red Bull squad for '14 after the departure of Mark Webber from Grand Prix racing.

Ricciardo returns

"I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team," said AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost.

"There’s no doubt about his driving skill, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straight-forward.

"The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner.

"I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri, and I wish him all the best for the future."

Ricciardo himself also added that: "I’m stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family!"