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For a man handed a lifeline in Formula One – with an illustrious Red Bull-shaped reward beckoning down the line – it has not quite been the statement return Daniel Ricciardo envisaged back in July. What did that look like? Top-10 finishes with AlphaTauri, perhaps with a memorable overtake or two evoking the Ricciardo of old back onto the grid. But it has in fact been the complete opposite: the only return has been his return to inactivity. Two races in and a hand injury sustained in practice in Zandvoort, north Holland, back in August has seen the affable Australian feature only on the sidelines again. A seesaw seven weeks have followed: while on one hand confirmation of a seat on the grid in 2024 was, rather peculiarly, confirmed in his absence in Japan, his deputy Liam Lawson caught the eye with a string of impressive performances, including a team-best result of ninth in Singapore. So as Ricciardo struts back into the paddock this weekend in Austin, the broken bone in his hand healed, the pressure is firmly on the 34-year-old’s shoulders at his home from home. Affection works hand in hand with Ricciardo and the United States: he loves America, Americans love him. Last year, weeks after his McLaren exit was announced, the sport’s most cheerful character arrived at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on horseback, kitted out in full cowboy apparel. Given his injury hiatus, you’d think no such extravagant entries will be repeated this year. But what he has got back in his hands, as opposed to 12 months ago, is his Formula One destiny. Perhaps fortuitously, too. When Ricciardo left Red Bull for pastures new at the end of 2018, his aspiration was that the grass was greener. Now five years on he is back at Christian Horner’s team, first as a reserve and now at the sister team. A second bite alongside Max Verstappen is what he truly craves. And he has made no secret of that. “Daniel is viewing AlphaTauri… he firmly wants to be pitching for that 2025 Red Bull seat,” said Horner back in July. “That is his goal and objective and, by going to AlphaTauri, I think he sees that as his best route of stating his case for 2025.” And with talk of Sergio Perez’s seat being under threat at Red Bull amid his struggles, there is a feasible route back to the top-table for Ricciardo. Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has already hinted the Mexican’s future seemingly lies away from Red Bull: most probably in a year, perhaps even as early as before next season. But before heading off any top contenders outside the Red Bull mothership, the Australian first has to prove his worth amid the in-house competition. Given Nyck de Vries’s rapid promotion to a seat after just one race last year, Lawson can feel hard done by that his impressive five-race showing – 13th, 11th, 9th, 11th, 17th – in this year’s slowest car hasn’t landed him a seat in 2024. So Ricciardo needs to better Lawson’s two points in the final five races of this season. He also needs to get the better of his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, who has earned just three 10th-place finishes in 17 races this year. That is the minimum. But back stateside, it is the on-track magic and overtaking propensity of near-enough 10 years ago which will catapult him into Red Bull’s second seat conversation. That will be the key, as opposed to any off-track endeavours or kind words with sponsors. F1 world champion of 1997, Jacques Villeneuve, is quoted as saying this week: “I would ask kids who want to be drivers today – do you want it out of passion or because you want to be like Daniel Ricciardo, smiling in commercials?” While a tad harsh – best to smile than frown, no? – it does point to a school of thought that Ricciardo’s charisma is now a bigger pull than his talent. For any driver of any age, that is the ultimate insult. All of them are fundamentally in F1 to race, to scrap for every point and to jockey for every position. Even Ricciardo, who has endured the worst two years of his career since his anomaly of a win at Monza in 2021, remains adamant his world-class skillset is still present. His ambitions, so told to The Independentin July, remain the highest of highs: race wins and even a world championship. But Ricciardo must grasp the opportunity simply having a seat in this 20-driver sport gives and it starts with the cut-and-thrust of the sprint weekend at COTA. Nobody is expecting wins or podiums in the slowest car. But what people do expect is progress – and glimpses of the man of yesteryear. Read More What is a sprint race in F1 and how does new qualifying shootout work? What time is qualifying at the US Grand Prix on Friday? Sergio Perez addresses Red Bull future McLaren confirm first female driver in development programme Daniel Ricciardo to make F1 return at US Grand Prix Netflix reveal star line-up for F1 Drive to Survive vs Full Swing golf match

Bruno Fernandes’ stunning volley secured absentee-hit Manchester United a much-needed victory as Burnley’s wait for a Premier League win continued. Injuries and off-field issues have been compounded by poor performances in some tough fixtures, with the Red Devils losing four of their opening six matches in all competitions for the first time since 1986. United ended a run of three successive defeats at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, where Erik ten Hag’s team were not entirely convincing but ran out 1-0 victors thanks to Fernandes’ moment of magic on Saturday night. The Portugal midfielder showed exceptional composure and technique when providing a fitting finish to a brilliant pass from Jonny Evans, who was making his first start for the club since 2015. The 35-year-old recently rejoined the club and thought he had scored shortly before Fernandes’ goal, only for the VAR to intervene in a first half that Burnley had held their own in. Zeki Amdouni struck a post during the opening period and Kompany’s side threatened towards the end of the second half, but the Manchester City great was unable to celebrate a late equaliser. United made a bright start after making the short journey up the M66, with Marcus Rashford striking into the side-netting and Fernandes forcing an early stop from James Trafford. “We want Glazers out” bellowed the away end as Burnley fans attempted to unsettle visiting goalkeeper Andre Onana days on from his costly clanger at Bayern Munich. The summer signing soon quietened those goading him, reacting well to stop Amdouni’s goalbound header into the ground from a Connor Roberts cross. Burnley were growing in confidence and ambition, nearly going ahead in the 17th minute when Aaron Ramsey slipped in Amdouni to hit a strike off the far post. Many inside Turf Moor had expected the net to bulge – something the majority were disappointed to see when it did in the 25th minute. Sergio Reguilon swung in a cross from the right that Evans was able to meet with a header past Trafford from four yards. The defender was mobbed but his celebrations were short-lived as the VAR ruled Rasmus Hojlund had interfered with play from an offside position. Burnley settled after that scare as lively Luca Koleosho mishit wide and Ramsey called Onana into action, only to go behind on the stroke of half-time. Evans took the ball and showed fantastic vision to clip a diagonal, left-footed pass from just outside the centre circle in Burnley’s half over to Fernandes behind. The United skipper tracked the ball over his shoulder and hit a perfect volley across Trafford from the right-hand side of the six-yard box to stun Turf Moor. Unfortunately for the neutral that moment of quality did not take the game up a level. There was a sharp intake of breath after Diogo Dalot’s lasered cross just evaded Hojlund, with Ameen Al Dakhil soon getting back just in time to stop the striker connecting with a Rashford header. Scott McTominay’s hopeful effort was easily stopped as the game petered out, with Burnley making a triple change in search of an equaliser. Two of those introductions were soon involved, with Onana rushing out to stop Jacob Bruun Larsen following a heavy touch before Jay Rodriguez and Evans collided following up. Sander Berge was the other alteration and directed narrowly over from an 82nd-minute corner, with Rodriguez blocked out by fellow substitute Raphael Varane soon after. Rashford and Hojlund saw efforts blocked before an acrobatic Fernandes attempt was saved in stoppage time as United won and kept a first clean sheet since beating Wolves in their opener. The final whistle went straight after substitute Manuel Benson’s hopeful effort was gobbled up. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ireland secure brilliant victory over defending World Cup champions South Africa Henry Arundell impresses his captain with five-star show as England rout Chile Harry Kane stars with hat-trick and two assists as Bayern Munich batter Bochum

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