Australian Daniel Ricciardo admitted on Thursday that he was surprised to return to Formula 1 so soon in Alpha Tauri colors after opting to spend a season as Red Bull’s reserve driver.
“It’s good to be back. It’s all still very familiar to me, because it hasn’t been that long. Going back to the Red Bull family brings back a lot of old feelings, also from when I belonged to the satellite team,” he said. at a press conference at the Hungaroring circuit, where the Hungarian Grand Prix will take place on Sunday.
Red Bull announced, on July 11, that Daniel Ricciardo would replace Nyck de Vries in his satellite team, after the results of the Dutch driver did not convince those responsible for the team.
“You never know what can happen, but it is true that I did not expect to be back in Budapest. I am surprised, although not too much,” admitted the 34-year-old Australian, who at the beginning of his career ran for Toro Rosso, the team that gave rise to the current Alpha Tauri.
Ricciardo returned to Red Bull this year as a reserve driver after his contract with McLaren ended early at the end of 2021, and he will be loaned to Alpha Tauri for the remainder of the season.
“This time that I was not an official rider has helped me to change routines and, personally, it has also given me space to recover energy. Having more free time was a luxury and it was fine, but it is also true that I am used to being here, ”said the Australian, who last year admitted having lost his passion for Formula 1 after a disastrous season at McLaren.
Winner of eight Grand Prix, seven of them with Red Bull, the Perth driver, whose return today created great excitement in the ‘paddock’, did not hide his predilection for the ‘mother house’.
“The test with Red Bull at Silverstone was sensational. Despite spending a lot of time in the simulator [como piloto de testes]I needed that click and the sensations were immediate. Now it is something else: the car is different, the challenge is also different”, she underlined.
Saying he was “prepared”, Ricciardo reflected on the 10 years that separate his first spell with the Italian team from his current one.
“Ten years is a long time, the team has changed, I have changed. I feel like we’ve both evolved. I am just happy to have this opportunity, ”she concluded.
Source: TSF
