Daniel Ricciardo is back in the Formula 1 paddock in Austin with a huge grin on his face and is banking on AlphaTauri’s Singapore update after his injury layoff
After a five-race break, Daniel Ricciardo will make his second comeback of the season for AlphaTauri in Austin after the Australian took over the cockpit from Nyck de Vries from the Hungarian Grand Prix. Ricciardo broke his wrist in August during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, halting his Formula One return after just two races.
“It was definitely frustrating to watch the last few races,” said Ricciardo, who has been replaced by Liam Lawson in recent months. “Mainly because I was at a point where I was ready to race again, and then I did two events and had to take a break again. The break was worse than expected, but actually the time without racing went by pretty quickly.”
Ricciardo reveals that he has not yet been able to reach his “full potential” and he tested his hand in a simulator session before Qatar, but now he feels he is back to full fitness: “My hand is much better and the simulator was a good way to test it,” he explains.
“I tried it the week before Qatar, but I didn’t feel [the hand] was working to its full potential, so I spent the rest of the week in the UK and spent more time in the simulator until I felt ready. My general fitness is fine because I’ve been training as much as I can, although of course for a while I couldn’t do much with my left hand or arm. “
Ricciardo eager for first drive with updates
While Ricciardo was out of action, Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda benefited from an improved AlphaTauri, with the former scoring two points in Singapore. But the Faenza-based team still sits last in the championship, seven points behind ninth-placed Haas, who for their part made extensive changes to the car in Austin.
“The current car has evolved a bit since I last drove it, but the simulation was useful to get an idea of what the changes and updates have brought,” Ricciardo commented. “I felt a little bit of the effects, but I think once I’m on track I’ll feel them in their full effect.”
“I was there in Singapore when they first tried it out, and it was interesting to hear the feedback and comments, which were mostly positive. So I’m excited to see how it feels. “
Tsunoda believes Austin suits AlphaTauri better!
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda is also optimistic about the USA weekend, “I’ve finished in the points a few times in Austin, and it’s a very pleasant place, both on the track and in the city. The track is interesting.”
“Our team has done quite well there in recent years, so I’m looking forward to the weekend, but it’s hard to predict how well we’ll do this time. The track has a long straight and so far this year we’ve struggled a bit in those situations, so we’ll try to make up lap time in the corners. “
