Beyond The Score

One week after his return in Hungary, Aussie Daniel Ricciardo will be looking to put in another solid performance in the Alpha Tauri cockpit as he heads to Belgium’s iconic track in Spa. He was his usual bubbly self throughout the weekend and it truly felt as though the Danny we know and love was back.

Returning to this track it’s easy to forget it was a completely different story this time last year. Just one day before media day for the weekend the news was broken that Ricciardo’s torrid tenure at McLaren would be cut short prematurely, the Aussie being told to pack his bags. It was little surprise in all honesty.

2021’s main highlight was a race victory in Monza which seemingly popped up out of nowhere and set the Formula One world into shock waves. That was a high point out of a grim season with many lows though. Norris outperformed the eight time grand prix winner by 45 points with the Aussie’s reputation taking a big hit. Even a new set of engine regulations couldn’t help him make progress, in reality they hampered his performance to an even lower level.

A forty-five point gap was extended to a humungous eighty-five. Time was running out for Ricciardo who just couldn’t adapt to a tricky to handle Mclaren. Typically he breaks early which allows him to turn into the corner aggressively and carry speed through the corner and in the exit. Yet the MCL 35 and MCL 60 were both completely different cars in comparison to the Renault and Red Bull he enjoyed. A stronger rear end meant he couldn’t turn the car in the same fashion. It was an issue which he never truly got on top of. Positive signs at the likes of Baku and Montreal were followed by poor displays such as Silverstone and Austria.

The parting of ways was completely inevitable . Seidel gave Ricciardo more time than most would afford and with recent Oscar Piastri performances it has proven the correct decision. The former McLaren driver was reportedly offered a seat at Haas however declined stating that a year out was the better option, with an eye on a competitive car for 2024.

Yet, a struggling Nick De Vries means his sabbatical has been cut short. Truth be told it was the only way back in. His stock had taken a blow due to his struggles at McLaren and it’s likely that a competitive race seat wouldn’t have offered itself. The move to become a third driver at Red Bull raised many eyebrows but has completely paid off.

Make no mistake, Ricciardo hasn’t changed his mind. He has an eye on the Sergio Perez’s Red Bull seat. It’s not as though he has joined Alpha Tauri to be there for the long run. Especially with the poor recent form of the Mexican, it’s as if the stars have aligned.

Back in the car last week, expectations were low but excitement high. Practice one was null and void therefore Ricciardo had just two sessions to familiarise himself with the Alpha Tauri’s cockpit. Despite the odds stacked up against him he wrestled the Austrian machinery into q3 and showed a solid race weekend. Despite being caught up innoncently in an opening lap incident, he finished a strong p13 and showed incredible tyre management to make the medium tyres last a whopping forty laps. A solid weekend it was.

Looking ahead to Belgium he said to Alpha Tauri’s media channel” My whole weekend in Budapest was really good, making me feel all the things I missed, like the adrenaline and being on the starting grid, those emotions are really powerful. I felt our pace wasn’t bad and there was maybe even a chance of points if I hadn’t had to start again from the back after being hit on the first lap. It was good the car wasn’t damaged, so I was able to do the 70 laps and I felt physically fine at the end of it.

“There were a lot of things to be happy about. I made a few little mistakes in the race, but by the last stint I was really consistent and I don’t think I could have asked for anything more from my first weekend back. I’m happy to have a back-to-back and go to Spa now. I think it was a solid start and it will be good to jump straight back in the car after just a couple of days, as it will keep the ball rolling. It should fast-track my learning and my improvement. That’s the plan, to keep chipping away at it.”

The goal this weekend with simply to be outperforming Tsunoda once more. The sprint weekend means he will have a lack of precious time in the car before the competitive action starts, although as last week showed that seems not to be an issue. With an extremely wet forecast though perhaps it will make him pay moreso.

In general, it’s just great news to have Ricciardo back and part of the paddock once more. Although not only will he want to stay but he an upgrade to Red Bull is what he is eyeing. The rest of the season is effectively an audition, a chance for a dream return.