All eyes were on Daniel Ricciardo as he made his return to the F1 grid with AlphaTauri for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Despite some questionable tire management by the team, Ricciardo’s performance showed signs of promise, securing a P13 finish.
However, teammate Yuki Tsunoda was left frustrated, deeming the entire Grand Prix a missed opportunity.
Having been away from F1 all season after departing from McLaren, Ricciardo signed on as Red Bull Racing’s reserve driver a few weeks ago.
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When AlphaTauri made the decision to drop rookie driver Nick De Vries after the British Grand Prix, Ricciardo was the natural choice as the next man up, given that both teams are under the Red Bull umbrella.
The Hungarian GP marked Ricciardo’s first proper F1 action in the 2023 season, and he qualified in P13, which was a reasonable performance given AlphaTauri’s middling results this season.
Despite the team’s questionable tire management strategy, which saw Ricciardo pit for a second time with just a handful of laps on his tires, the Australian driver’s performance showed glimpses of promise.
Following the odd second pit stop that dropped him back to last place from eighth, Ricciardo showcased his determination and skill as he fought his way back up to secure a P13 finish.
While a mid-pack result might not be considered extraordinary, it was one of the better performances seen from AlphaTauri throughout the season.
Additionally, Ricciardo’s finishing position outperformed his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, who ended the race in P15.
After the race, Ricciardo and the AlphaTauri team were satisfied with the Australian’s return to the grid.
However, Tsunoda expressed frustration and disappointment, describing the entire Grand Prix as a “waste.”
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Despite acknowledging that the car’s race pace was good, Tsunoda criticised the team’s approach, suggesting that their strategy did not yield the desired results.
“The race pace was good. I’m happy with the car, but we waste everything,” Tsunoda candidly stated to the media after the race.
“The pace was good, but what we were doing was not working well, unfortunately. That’s it.”