Daniel Ricciardo is ‘hungry and motivated’ to deliver in Max Verstappen’s home race

Daniel Ricciardo has trained extensively in preparation of the second half of the season.

Daniel Ricciardo is ‘hungry and motivated’ to deliver in Max Verstappen’s home race

Daniel Ricciardo (image via NU), Max Verstappen (image via Sports Illustrated)

Daniel Ricciardo made a shock return to F1 mid-way through the 2023 season. The Australian driver was spending the season on the sidelines as a reserve driver for Red Bull but was swiftly signed to replace Nyck de Vries from the Hungarian GP. Now, the 34-year-old is eager to make a mark at this weekend’s Dutch GP as F1 returns after the summer break.

Ricciardo was excited to return to Zandvoort as the second half of the F1 season began. The Australian driver spent the summer break training for the rest of the year after competing in two races for AlphaTauri. The 34-year-old was glad to return and praised the Red Bull sister team. He said, as reported by Formulapassion.it, “I have spent most of the past few weeks training… to be ready to attack in the second half of the season. I really enjoyed returning, and the two races with the team were fantastic.”

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The Honey Badger was delighted to be in the state of mind he wanted to be in. Daniel Ricciardo made it clear that he has the hunger and motivation to prove his worth in F1 again after two underwhelming seasons at McLaren. The 34-year-old was happy to race at Max Verstappen’s home track. Ricciardo continued, “I am very hungry and motivated, and I feel exactly how I wanted it. This is why I can’t wait to start in Zandvoort, which is a very fast track with a fantastic atmosphere.“

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Daniel Ricciardo needs to perform for AlphaTauri

Daniel Ricciardo driving the AT04 at Spa-Francorchamps (Credits: @AlphaTauriF1/Twitter)
Daniel Ricciardo driving the AT04 at Spa-Francorchamps (Credits: @AlphaTauriF1/Twitter)

AlphaTauri had a struggling start to the 2023 season. The Faenza-based team is stuck with a poor car that is being viewed as potentially the slowest on the grid this year. Although, Yuki Tsunoda managed to pull off an incredible points-scoring result for the team at the Belgian GP. Ricciardo is now looking to return to the fight for points in the Top 10.

The 34-year-old hyped return to the grid is potentially a way for Red Bull to test the Australian driver. Danny Ric was the last driver to outscore Max Verstappen as a teammate in F1. Ricciardo might get the opportunity to race for the Milton-Keynes team once again if the former McLaren driver can provide consistent results. This comes at a time when Sergio Perez is struggling to match Verstappen.

Daniel Ricciardo is thrilled to be back after the summer break. The Australian driver has a lot to prove as F1 returns to Max Verstappen’s home race. Ricciardo would be looking to gain momentum with a decent result this weekend. As the Honey Badger tries to impress Red Bull with his performances and potentially secure a seat at Milton Keynes.

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