Ricciardo secured the 13th position in Budapest for AlphaTauri, while his teammate and primary benchmark Yuki Tsunoda could not advance from Q1, finishing in 17th place.
The Australian acknowledged that going back to the cockpit had presented a difficulty, but he expressed feeling “calm” and “content” while doing so.
“Undoubtedly, as the weekend approached, I was aware that there would be a certain challenge to overcome,” he expressed. “I made an effort to not become overly preoccupied with the outcome of my performance this weekend.”
“I cannot reword”
“I cannot reword”
“This is something that I obviously didn’t always have in the last year or two. That’s why I think the time off was needed for me.
“I had anticipated receiving a duration of 12 months. However, it turned out to be approximately six or seven months, or thereabouts. Nevertheless, I was fortunate that it proved to be sufficient. You see, I felt that I had an ample amount of time to, for instance, rediscover my affection.”
Ricciardo emphasized that his main focus in Sunday’s race is to gain knowledge about the car, benefiting both himself and the team.
“I will increase my energy level slightly tomorrow, but I believe it is important to approach it intelligently,” he stated. “Naturally, I must engage in the race with determination and avoid being hesitant.”
“I believe it would be ideal for me to keep a record of the laps and gather information for the team. It is important to do so in a competitive manner, but also with intelligence. The outcome remains uncertain.”
In terms of his progress, he mentioned: “Currently, I believe I have only completed around eight laps or so. Tomorrow, I anticipate there will be numerous aspects for me to grasp, such as managing the tires and familiarizing myself with the car’s behavior when fueled.”
Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri AT04
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
“As the tires deteriorate, I anticipate gaining a deeper understanding of the car and, naturally, identifying its vulnerabilities in such circumstances.”
“I anticipate that there may be instances where I struggle, but I also expect to improve over time as I gain experience.”
I would prefer not to express this in a negative manner, but it is inevitable that there will still be a few things to learn and hopefully I can learn quickly. If we manage to score points, that would be a significant achievement.
As a team, it is evident that we must accumulate points. However, the primary focus should be on ensuring that I am fully in sync with the car, as if we are one entity. This can be considered as the initial requirement that needs to be fulfilled.
He admitted that the combination of high temperatures and the narrow and winding track posed a physical challenge in his initial race after returning: “I believe I will definitely feel the physical strain more than the others. They have better fitness this year, but I understand that it is the current situation.”
Currently, I am experiencing a positive sensation and I am able to move my neck quite well. Therefore, I believe that everything is going well up until this point. However, completing 70 laps in this intense heat, regardless of being in optimal physical condition for racing, is always considered one of the more challenging tasks.
In both here and Singapore, they are likely the most difficult. Therefore, Red Bull seems to enjoy testing us by saying, “Hey, Daniel, why not try it in Budapest next week?” However, I don’t mind, I actually find it enjoyable.
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