Mogyorod [Hungary], July 21 : Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo is back in Formula 1 as he got a seat in the AlphaTauri team after they sacked driver Nyck de Vries due to his continuous run of poor performances. Daniel Ricciardo will be racing in the Hungary GP on Sunday. In a recent interview, Ricciardo said, "I knew it would be very hard to go back in at the top."
Having parted ways with McLaren at the end of the 2022 season, Ricciardo started 2023 as a Red Bull reserve driver, carrying out simulator duties and making several paddock appearances, but he has now been drafted in to replace Nyck de Vries from this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
According to the Formula 1 website Daniel Ricciardo said, “With everything that happened the last few years, getting back into the sport after taking some time off, I knew it would be very hard to go back in at the top."
He added, “Of course, that was my wish, but you need to be realistic at some point and say, ‘Look, if I want to get back, let’s say, in a Red Bull seat, it’s going to take a process and a path’, and this for me is the best path at the moment."
Ricciardo said, "Also, six months ago I wasn’t in a place to jump at an opportunity like this, but that’s been the luxury of time now, that I’ve just got so much more – I’ve fallen in love with it again and been myself again, probably back in an environment that gives me a lot of nostalgia."
34-year-old Daniel Ricciardo said, “I spent a lot of my career here, a lot of my journey and my junior days were here, so kind of talking to [Red Bull advisor] Helmut [Marko] again more regularly, it felt like where I belong. When the opportunity came, I thought, ‘Absolutely, let’s try’, and yeah, that’s done.”
“As you say, let’s call that the dream, so to speak, but there’s no point thinking about that,” he commented. “There’s going to be a lot of work to do here, and I think in terms of expectation there is none," said Daniel Ricciardo.
“Everything I felt driving the car last week is how I want to go racing again, at the moment, enjoying it, not thinking too far ahead. I’ve obviously been following, I know the car’s going to have some limitations."
While concluding he said, “I’m going to do the best with what I’ve got. If it’s something I feel I can work with, that’s all I need to feel good behind the wheel again and also obviously use some of my experience to push the team. As far as this weekend goes, if you ask me, ‘Where do you want to finish?’, I couldn’t tell you. I just want to know I’ve put everything into it and done a lap I can be proud of.”
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