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Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Daniel Ricciardo mentioned he has fallen in love with System One once more as he prepares for his return to the grid with AlphaTauri at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
After being dropped by McLaren final yr, Ricciardo joined Purple Bull as a 3rd driver at the beginning of this season, engaged on the workforce’s simulator and conducting promotional work for the model.
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Throughout a Pirelli tyre take a look at within the championship-leading Purple Bull final week, it was introduced that Ricciardo would substitute Nyck de Vries at Purple Bull’s junior workforce AlphaTauri from this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix till the rest of the season.
The return to a workforce behind the grid contradicts feedback that Ricciardo made on the finish of final yr about solely desirous to drive for a aggressive workforce, however he mentioned a renewed love for F1 had modified his perspective.
“I had sufficient break day to reset and revel in it once more,” he mentioned. “I already felt that on the simulator to this point this yr, however that is why I additionally wished to drive the automotive [at the test] and actually be certain that it is nonetheless really what I like doing most.
“I used to be up to the mark actually fast and it felt actually good once more, and clearly tasting the Purple Bull automotive obtained me fairly excited and all the pieces that occurred the previous few years and getting again into the game, taking a while off, I knew it was going to be very onerous to return in on the high.
“After all, that was my want however I believe additionally it’s worthwhile to be real looking in some unspecified time in the future and say, ‘OK, if I need to get again to a Purple Bull seat then it’ll take a little bit of a course of and a path’. This for me is the most effective path in the mean time.
“Additionally, six months in the past I wasn’t in a spot to leap at a possibility like this, however that is been the posh of time now. I’ve fallen in love with it once more and I really feel like I am being myself once more.”
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Ricciardo has made no secret of his need to return to Purple Bull, who he raced for between 2014 and 2018, however after struggling for efficiency throughout his time at McLaren, he says his precedence is to get pleasure from racing once more.
“That [racing for Red Bull] is, name it the dream, so to talk. However there is no such thing as a level in me fascinated by that. There may be going to be numerous work to do right here. By way of expectation, there’s none. For me, all the pieces I felt driving the automotive final week is what I need from racing, to be within the second, having fun with it and never pondering too far forward.
“I have been following and I do know the [AlphaTauri] automotive goes to have some limitations, however I’ve obtained to do the most effective with what I’ve obtained. If it is one thing I believe I can work with then that is all I must really feel good behind the wheel once more and use a few of my expertise to push the workforce.
“So far as this weekend goes, in the event you ask me the place I need to end, I could not inform you. I simply need to know I put all the pieces in to it and obtained a lap I may be pleased with.”
Ricciardo’s presence at AlphaTauri places strain on Purple Bull’s present driver Sergio Perez, who’s below contract till the top of 2024 however struggling for efficiency in comparison with teammate Max Verstappen. Ricciardo mentioned he had been supplied no ensures about his future from Purple Bull’s administration, however recognised the necessity to carry out with the intention to be thought-about for a return to the world championship-winning workforce.
“There is not any actual standards in the mean time [to be moved up to Red Bull]. However I want to point out one thing, for certain, for subsequent yr and past, there is not any ensures — in all probability ever, with this sport.
“Look, in a manner, as I mentioned, the summer time break would have been extra typical, however I sort of like that I’ve obtained two races after which the break, so I’ve obtained some issues to consider over the course of the break.
“I’ll try to take in as a lot of those two as I can, after which clearly come Zandvoort, have just a little bit extra of a steering or consciousness of the place I anticipate to be for myself.”