The news of Daniel Ricciardo returning to F1 has taken the entire racing fraternity by storm. The Aussie has been a consistent presence on the grid for a decade. The relentless, strong-headed, and fiercely quick Ricciardo is also one of the most loved drivers in F1. Red Bull reserve driver and 8-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo is all set to replace Nyck De Vries in the Faenza-based team for the remainder of the season.
Ricciardo performed a test for the senior team on Monday and his impressive lap times sealed the spot for him. Not just that, it was an array of disappointing results from the Dutchman which enabled his return to the grid. Ricciardo has long been a member of the Red Bull family, right from his initial days in the F1. He drove for the Milton Keynes-based outfit between 2014-18.
Interestingly, Ricciardo won the Hungarian GP with the Red Bull in his very first season in 2014, one of his three wins that season. Now, it seems like life has come full circle for the Aussie driver. He is back with the Red Bull family to relive his Formula 1 dream.
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Daniel Ricciardo expects a balanced Alpha Tauri car
After being parked at the bench at the end of last season, Ricciardo’s return is no less than a fairy tale. The Aussie has entered 232 Grand Prix in his career so far with 8 wins to his name, the latest being Monza 2021 for McLaren. Now, as he is all set to return to the grid, the “Honey Badger” has laid down his primary expectations with the team going ahead.
“I’m stoked to be back. As always with the Red Bull family, you have to be ready for a call and when it came I jumped at the opportunity. The transition to AlphaTauri has gone smoothly,” said Ricciardo as quoted by GPFans.
“The AlphaTauri car will be what it is. I’m going to drive it and work from there. I don’t want to have too many preconceived ideas about it. I think if it’s a car that feels balanced, that’s something I can work with,” he added.
Alpha Tauri currently stands at the rear end of the championship battle. Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will look to change the team’s fortune going ahead in the remainder of the season.
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