De Vries was ousted just 10 races into his rookie F1 season after failing to match AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, with Red Bull calling up its third driver Ricciardo to replace the Dutchman from next week's Hungarian Grand Prix onwards.
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While he has no defined expectations for his first races back at AlphaTauri, Ricciardo appreciates the big challenge he faces at the struggling outfit that is currently last in the constructors' championship.
"I'm excited about it - it's a challenge for sure to jump in and try to hit the ground running," Ricciardo said in an interview on F1's YouTube channel.
"But also, I feel like I've been through a lot the last few years where I'm not really scared of anything that's going to be thrown my way.
"I appreciate the car is going to have its limitations. It might not have as much grip as the Red Bull I drove a few days ago but, if it feels relatively balanced, then that's something I can work with.
"They expect results, performances, but I think until I get in the car, it's hard to define what that is. Is it a P8? Is it a P14? I don't think there's pressure until the summer break.
"But I also don't expect to get off to a slow start. I want to hit the ground running and try and also use what I've learned in this time off to put it to use."
Ricciardo's surprise call-up came just half a season into his sabbatical after a bruising two-year stint at McLaren. And while Helmut Marko's phone call arrived much earlier than expected, the Australian said it came at the right time for him to have built up the desire to return.
Source: Autosport