Daniel Ricciardo has made several Formula 1 appearances this season, but in Hungary he returned to the paddock as an active driver for the first time. The Australian will drive AlphaTauri’s car, which his partner Yuki Tsunoda says is the slowest in the pack.
Ricciardo has previously said he will only return to F1 if he gets the chance to drive one of the championship’s best cars. On Thursday, Daniel explained in Hungary why he agreed with AlphaTauri.
Daniel Riccardo: “My decision was influenced by several things. I had enough time to rest and enjoy piloting again – I felt it this year while working on the simulator. I wanted to get behind the wheel of a real car to make sure that driving really remains what I enjoy most.
During the tests I picked up speed very quickly, I felt confident. When I assessed the Red Bull car on the track, I realized that I like being a pilot.
Given the events that have taken place over the past few years and the time I spent outside racing, I knew it was going to be very difficult for me to get back to the top. I wanted it, but at the same time I understood that you have to be realistic, because returning to Red Bull takes time.
This is the best time for me to return. Six months ago I would have turned down such an offer. [выступать за AlphaTauri], but now I fell in love with Formula 1 again and the return to Red Bull gave me a nostalgic feeling. I spent most of my career on this team, including as a junior.
I started communicating with Helmut Marko more often and felt that Red Bull was my place, so when the opportunity came up to go to the start I thought: “Great, I have to try.”
The Australian driver has made it clear that he wants to return behind the wheel of Red Bull Racing one day: “This is my dream, but there is no point in thinking about it now, because there is a lot of work to be done. I have no expectations because the only thing I realized after last week’s testing was that I want to race again. Now I want to live in the moment and not look too far into the future.
I know the AlphaTauri has limitations, but I need to make the most of the technology at my disposal. First you need to feel comfortable behind the wheel and then, using experience, lead the team forward.
If you ask me what position I want to finish in this weekend, I can’t answer. I just want to do my best and do a lap that I can be proud of.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
