Daniel Ricciardo will be evaluated by the Red Bull Formula 1 team when he takes part in a test at Silverstone next month.
The Australian will return to the wheel of an F1 car for the first time this year, as he has been handed an outing as part of a tyre test with Pirelli.
Ricciardo re-joined the Red Bull squad after being dropped by McLaren at the end of the 2022 campaign following two difficult seasons.
He has been carrying out third driver duties, including simulator work to assist Red Bull’s dominating start to 2023.
But after the British Grand Prix next month, Ricciardo will jump back behind the wheel of a car in a rare opportunity.
“We will have Ricciardo in the car for three days after Silverstone at the tyre test and then you can evaluate where Ricciardo really stands,” Red Bull’s Helmut Marko told ORF.
Ricciardo has confirmed that he is targeting a route back to the F1 grid in 2024, admitting that ending his career with Red Bull would be a “fairytale’ move.
The 33-year-old’s desire to return comes amid a troubling spell of form for Sergio Perez at Red Bull, who has struggled at the last handful of races.
“His initial target was two, three years, which would be more than he planned anyway, and you just have to keep options open for the succession,” Marko said, referring to Perez.
It is also reported that Ricciardo is open to racing with Red Bull’s sister squad AlphaTauri if it provides a route back to the front-running team.