A routine seat fitting for Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri – as well as a performance deadline given to Nyck De Vries – has sparked wild rumours the Australian could return to the grid this season.
Ricciardo was in Miami as part of his commitments as a Red Bull reserve driver, and his contract sees him available to both the senior squad and AlphaTauri should either of their drivers become unavailable.
The seat fitting is to ensure the team is ready should Ricciardo be called upon at short notice.
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Red Bull's other reserve driver, Liam Lawson, is also unavailable from the next two Grands Prix due to his commitments racing in Japanese Super Formula.
Italian media has also this week reported Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has given De Vries until the end of the upcoming triple-header at Imola, Monaco and Barcelona to improve.
In an ominous sign for the Dutchman, AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost — who will leave the squad at the end of the season — said it would be an "exaggeration" to say the team were satisfied with his performance so far in 2023.
De Vries hasn't finished better than 14th from his first five races as a full-time F1 driver, and has been involved in several clumsy incidents.
In Miami, De Vries ran up the back of Lando Norris at the first corner, which sent them both to the rear of the field.
Tost said while the team could "theoretically" call on Ricciardo, Lawson would be their first choice.
"Practically, I don't hope so because there are young drivers like Liam Lawson, like [F2 driver, Dennis] Hauger," he said.
"I think we will primarily be focused on the young drivers because that's within our capacity.
"I have always said that it is not easy for newcomers to Formula 1 – especially the first races.
"We go to Imola, Monaco and Barcelona now, where he has more experience with those circuits. If we can improve the car then Nyck will probably move further up.
"We can't forget that all the cars finished in Miami. If the top teams all finish, it will of course be difficult for us to score points."
Ricciardo has maintained he would only make a return to the F1 grid with a top team – which AlphaTauri are not.
There were suggestions he could replace Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen's teammate at the end of the season, but given Perez' early-season form, that's highly unlikely.
The next key in the driver puzzle will be Lewis Hamilton. While he is expected to re-sign with Mercedes in the coming weeks, should he decide to retire at the end of 2023, Ricciardo has also been linked to that seat alongside George Russell.
Ricciardo will be in the seat of an F1 car when he straps into a Red Bull for a tyre test after the British Grand Prix in July.
F1 will continue at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola next weekend.
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