He made a comeback to Formula 1 earlier than expected this year, but it was a challenge at AlphaTauri. According to Daniel Ricciardo, there are many similarities between his career and the situation in which the AlphaTauri F1 team now finds itself.
Ricciardo joined AlphaTauri as a replacement for the disappointing Nyck de Vries, but in Zandvoort he suffered a fracture in his hand in a trivial crash. Ultimately, Ricciardo took part in seven races, laying the foundation for a full-fledged F1 season next year.
According to Ricciardo, his situation can be compared to the situation AlphaTauri is currently in, namely with a new identity.
“There’s a lot coming up for me personally that’s really exciting,” said Ricciardo. “There is the team that is rebuilding itself, a bit like myself at this stage of my career, we are on a similar path.”
“I would say there is a lot of confidence and I think the team has a lot of belief in me. They still see me as a Red Bull driver and the results I achieved there, not as a McLaren driver and the results I achieved there.”
“We are in a good situation. I’m really looking forward to completing a full season and also to what happens before the season. 2024 will be exciting for us.”