The 2023 Formula 1 season has returned to fans (and AlphaTauri) a Daniel Ricciardo who seemed lost after the very difficult two years spent in McLaren.
The Australian, at the end of last season, left the Woking team by mutual agreement with the team then managed by Andreas Seidl despite still having one year left on his contract. For him it made no sense to continue in those conditions and he had accepted, despite all the doubts involved, to return to Red Bull orbit as a driver assigned to show runs and work on the simulator.
The opportunity arose this summer, with AlphaTauri deciding to replace the disappointing Nyck De Vries with Daniel. The climb, however, was not over, because during a free practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix Ricciardo ended up against the barriers to avoid a car that hit the wall just before him.
In the impact he fractured a metacarpal of one hand and the prognosis was merciless: another few weeks away from F1 and from that place he had conquered after doing well in a test carried out shortly before at Silverstone, but with a Red Bull.
The accident, however, did not take away Ricciardo’s energy. Indeed, he probably increased it and once he returned he was the author of excellent races, in which he gave precious points to the team and the awareness of being able to count again on a very fast and constant driver.
“Obviously I wish the injury had never happened,” Daniel said at the end of the season. “It was uncomfortable, painful and everything else. But now that the season is over I look at this year as a positive thing. Because a year ago, sitting here, I was thinking: ‘It could be my last race that I do in Formula 1?'”.
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri AT04, Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo C43, Logan Sargeant, Williams FW45
“I’m not exaggerating when I say that. I really didn’t know. I honestly thought it was 50% true. So after the year I’ve had and overcoming the broken hand, I feel a little bit like I’ve been reborn. And ‘the right word. Now I have the right energy again.”
During his convalescence, Ricciardo did not listen to other opinions. He just wanted to prepare as best as possible for his return and that seems to have been the best possible move to make at that time.
“I definitely got a second wind of sorts. When I talk about the hand, the fact that it didn’t feel like a real setback says a lot. I could understand how some people see that incident: ‘Maybe Daniel should have given up.’ “Probably, for them, that’s a sign that should lead them to stop doing what they do.”
“I’ve never thought of it in those terms, I’ve never felt that way. So yes, maybe this gave even more strength to the decision to try to kick everyone’s ass.”
“My enjoyment of this sport doesn’t have to be about results – I’ll know what a good lap or race is, and that will help me sleep at night. You don’t have to win all the time.”
“I think I’ve reached a point where I’m totally happy and comfortable driving for the tenth team on the grid, whereas last year, when I said I didn’t want to get back in the car if we were fighting at the back, ninth made sense to me do it. But little by little it started to make more and more sense”, concluded Ricciardo.
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