Similar to most Red Bull drivers including Verstappen and Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo’s promotion to Red Bull in 2014 came after a successful stint at Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri (then, Toro Rosso).
Recently, the Australian made a return to his former team AlphaTauri, with a ‘golden objective’ of a Red Bull promotion by 2025. Given that his last stint with the Italian (then, Spanish) team was way back in 2013! Noticing the differences and similarities in the camp, Ricciardo recently opened up to the media about the wave of nostalgia running through his head.
Daniel Ricciardo feels nostalgic after his F1 return
Ricciardo made his comeback to Formula 1 midway through the 2023 season, after a poor stint with Mclaren in 2021 and 2022. Excited for a fresh start, he replaced ex-AlphaTauri pilot and former F2 champion Nyck deVries ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix and is looking to take the step up to Red Bull by replacing Perez.
Returning to the team after a 10-year hiatus, Ricciardo recently revealed to the media the nostalgia that follows. In an interview, he said,
“The facility has changed a lot in the last 10 years since I was there. So it felt like a new team or a fresh environment. But also, 10 years is a long time. That team has changed. I’ve changed. There’s a nice kind of nostalgia going back. But I feel like we both evolved and I’m starting this next phase.”
About his current approach to racing, he said, “After stepping aside from the sport for a little bit, I think I kind of changed my perspective on things, I think just getting an opportunity again inside the Red Bull family is something I’m really appreciative of. So that’s really where my head’s at. Just try and enjoy it.”
Daniel Ricciardo’s career highlights
Ricciardo made his Formula 1 debut in 2011, with HRT racing contracted through Red Bull, whose driver academy he was a part of. Come 2012, he joined Toro Rosso in a full-time capacity, scoring his first 2 points by finishing P9 at his home race! He stayed with the team till the end of 2013, after which he was promoted to Red Bull for the 2014 season.
His stint with Red Bull was undoubtedly his most successful. He cemented his name in F1 history as a race winner at the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix. He went on to win 7 more races with Red Bull, until the 2019 season when he made the move to Renault.
At Renault, he went on to score 2 podiums for the team, winning his famous tattoo bet with then-team principal Cyril Abiteboul! In 2021, he made the move to Mclaren, and that is when things started to go wrong.
At Mclaren, he was continuously losing out and being out-qualified by his teammate Lando Norris. Daniel’s only memorable achievement with Mclaren was probably his beautiful drive at Monza 2021, where he took everyone by surprise and won Mclaren its first race since 2012!
But despite this, it did not get better for the Australian. The further he fell behind, the less likely he was to retain his seat with the team. Consequently, and to most fans’ disappointment, the Australian was “forced out” of an F1 seat by the end of the 2022 season. He went on to sign as a reserve driver for Red Bull in 2023, until his recent promotion to Alpha Tauri.
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