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In his first interview since a shock return to the grid, Daniel Ricciardo shares with F1 his expectations at AlphaTauri
Daniel Ricciardo is back.
But just how well will he perform in his return to the grid with AlphaTauri?
There is perhaps no one better to offer an opinion that topic than the Honey Badger himself. In his first interview since his stunning return to F1, Ricciardo told F1’s YouTube channel what he expects, and perhaps more importantly, what AlphaTauri expects from him.
“Just be a legend,” joked the newly minted AlphaTauri driver.
“They expect results, performances, but I think until I get in the car, it’s hard to define what that is,” added Ricciardo. “Is it a P8? Is it a P14?”
Ricciardo’s return was announced as he was climbing behind the wheel of the RB19 for the first time, for a tyre test at Silverstone following the British Grand Prix. As noted by F1.com and other outlets, Ricciardo posted some impressive lap times, particularly when compared with the Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg, along with Alex Albon of Williams:
However, those lap times need some context, as it is unclear what compounds each driver was using.
There also this critical bit of context.
Ricciardo will be driving AlphaTauri’s AT04, and not the RB19, at the Hungarian Grand Prix a week from today.
The veteran driver noted that when speaking with F1.
“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,” said Ricciardo. “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.”
Ricciardo also shared some of the moments since leaving McLaren that sparked his competitive desire to return to the grid. Appearances as Red Bull’s reserve driver at the Monaco Grand Prix, and at his home race in Melbourne, certainly helped.
But it was a trip to the Super Bowl that really sparked his inner fire.
“It was probably around the time I went to Super Bowl, being in a competitive environment again, I think that was where I started to get some of those feelings back,” outlined Ricciardo to F1.
“And I was like, this feeling hasn’t gone yet, that I would love to just be under the lights and just compete right now. So that was certainly a moment where it all started to turn around.”
As for what fans can really expect from him, Ricciardo does not feel any immediate pressure.
But he does not expect to get off to a slow start either.
“I don’t think there’s pressure until the summer break,” said Ricciardo. “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.”
We will see just how much he learned in just a few short days.
