‘Reborn’ Ricciardo keen to ‘kick some butt’

Daniel Ricciardo feels “reborn” since returning to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri and is already in a bullish mood for 2024.

It has been a wild 12 months for Ricciardo having left Yas Marina Circuit last year unsure whether or not he would ever drive a Formula 1 car again after his McLaren stint concluded a year earlier than contracted.

But those doughnuts were not the “Honey Badger’s” final act as he returned to the pinnacle of the sport eight months on.

Following Nyck de Vries’ sudden departure from AlphaTauri, Ricciardo was drafted in having been Red Bull’s reserve driver.

Despite the solid comeback beating Yuki Tsunoda instantly, his comeback was greatly disrupted by the hand injury at Zandvoort.

Daniel Ricciardo finished 11th at the Yas Marina Circuit. Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

This meant Ricciardo only got two races in before another interruption and he eventually returned five races later in Texas and finished the year, but not without stunning all with a special performance in Mexico.

As his rollercoaster journey continues into 2024, Ricciardo believes he is “reborn” again now back in the hot seat.

“To have the year I have had and forget the hand, I just kind of feel a little bit maybe reborn again, is kind of the right word,” Ricciardo told AUTOSPORT.

“I feel just re-energised and I’ve definitely got a second wind. 

“If I then speak of the hand, for this not to feel like a setback probably speaks volumes.

A relaxed Daniel Ricciardo in the cockpit during Formula 1 testing at Yas Marina Circuit. Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images/ Red Bull Content Pool

“I could see how maybe some people would see that lame accident with high consequences as maybe Daniel should just give it up.

“That’s probably just a sign that he should just call it a day, but I never thought or felt like that, so that was maybe even more power to the decision of kind of trying to kick some butt.”

Reflecting on the crazy year, Ricciardo said he is not concerned the hand injury was a significant setback, stating he is just glad to be on the grid having no idea if Abu Dhabi 2022 would be a sudden full stop on his F1 career.

“Obviously, I wish this never happened just because it was uncomfortable and painful and whatever, but now that it’s done, I still look back on this year as a positive,” the Perth boy reflected. 

“Because sitting here a year ago, I was like, could this be my last race?

Daniel Ricciardo in action during the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Photo by Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images

“I don’t exaggerate when I say that because I really didn’t know. I honestly thought it was 50-50.”

Ricciardo’s comeback taking place at AlphaTauri has been a bit of a Back To The Future moment for him.

After his career started at back marker HRT, the Aussie then went to the Red Bull sister team in 2012 which was then known as Toro Rosso.

Two solid seasons including an impressive qualifying and racing run against teammate Jean-Eric Vergne in the European leg of 2013 led to his promotion and Red Bull and the rest is history.

After spending the next nine seasons chasing wins, podiums and at the very least regular points at Red Bull, Renault and McLaren, shifting back to Faenza’s AlphaTauri would have been a major shift for Ricciardo.

Having qualified fourth and finishing seventh in an impressive drive through Mexico City, Ricciardo helped AlphaTauri rise from last to eighth in the constructors championship.

Daniel Ricciardo celebrates his maiden win at Canada in 2014.

Although it’s not the same as his Red Bull glory days, the “Honey Badger” said he has realised he can still enjoy himself behind the wheel even if he is chasing for 10th rather than first.

“My enjoyment in the sport should not be results-based in terms of ‘yes, I’ll know what’s a good lap or what’s a good race, and that will help me sleep at night,” he said. 

“It doesn’t just need to be winning every time and I think I came to the kind of place where I was totally happy and comfortable at that time driving for the 10th placed team on the grid.

“Whereas last year when I said I don’t want to jump back into a car if it’s fighting at the back, it didn’t make sense for me, but slowly it started to make more and more sense.”

Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images/ Red Bull Content Pool

AUTO ACTION’s latest issue #1875, is out now in its digital form downloadable right here, and available in all good newsagents and stockists near you, continuing on as Australia’s most trusted independent voice in motorsport.

If you can’t get a copy locally, you can also subscribe to the latest issue of Auto Action print or digital edition of the magazine here. For more of the latest motorsport news.