Mogyorod [Hungary], July 26 : Daniel Ricciardo made a comeback to Formula 1 after a year as AlphaTauri fired driver Nyck de Vries and brought him as replacement.
In the Hungary Grand Prix, Ricciardo finished in the 13th position.
After half a season on the sidelines serving as the reserve driver for Red Bull, Ricciardo was announced to be driving for AlphaTauri for the rest of the season, starting in Hungary. And he lined up in 13th ahead of his first race since November 20, 2022, in Abu Dhabi.
“Fortunately, the damage was really minor, and I could get on with it. After that, we made a good race. I’d say it was pretty much impossible from the tail of the field to get anywhere inside the points," Ricciardo said, according to the Formula 1 website.
“But I think we still put on a strong showing. I felt good. I felt good in the car and that was something that was certainly a question mark, not doing it for eight months, especially around here it’s a tough track. So, other than Lap 1, Turn 1, a good day. Obviously, we are operating at a little lower level of grip than the front cars. It feels relatively balanced, I just think we need to try and find some overall downforce."
Teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished 15th after starting the race from 17th. Reflecting on his Sunday in Budapest, the Japanese driver said that they chose to start the race on the soft compound tyre today to gain as many positions as possible early in the race.
“The start was good, and I managed to make up quite a few places, so I’m happy with my performance. I had pace and was managing my tyres well today, especially on the soft compound, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out, so together with the team we’ll look at it. It’s a shame because the pace was there.”
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