The newest addition to the AlphaTauri team, Daniel Ricciardo has returned to the grid for the upcoming United States Grand Prix at Austin. The Australian driver was on a break since his accident at the race at Zandvoort. He was replaced by a much younger Liam Lawson who changed the course of the race for the team.
However, Lawson had to retire from Formula 1 as AlphaTauri confirmed their driver lineup for the upcoming season, which included Ricciardo instead of him.
As Daniel Ricciardo gears up for his second comeback this season at the race in Texas, he is undoubtedly rooting to do better than those responsible for an embarrassing gaffe on social media. By error, his last name was written as “RICCARDO” on the team’s pit garage.
This issue was pointed out by fans who posted pictures of the blunder on social media. Although minor, a mistake like this one was unexpected by spectators and also by Ricciardo.
No way they misspelled @danielricciardo‘s name on the garage 😭🙈
📸: @mereeedithh#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/YUNbVgjUkI
— MultiViewer (@f1multiviewer) October 18, 2023
The AlphaTauri driver is scheduled to make a successful comeback in the United States after battling with fitness concerns and skipping the race in the Qatar Grand Prix. The terrible accident banned him from competing in the following race as well as the final four rounds. With his eyes set on a good finish, Ricciardo is prepared to score some points for the team in the upcoming race.
Daniel Ricciardo defies Nico Rosberg’s criticism and returns to AlphaTauri
After retiring from McLaren at the end of the 2022 season, Daniel Ricciardo returned to the grid as the reserve driver of his former team, Red Bull. When AlphaTauri decided to fire their rookie driver, Nyck de Vries mid-season, it opened doors for the Aussie to race behind the wheel yet again.
However, Ricciardo has been vocal about his desire to drive for Red Bull once again. As Sergio Perez started delivering badly, a number of rumors started circulating about Daniel’s wishes being materialized.
Nevertheless, this was not appreciated by former driver and World Champion, Nico Rosberg. He said, “The one thing I will say, it’s unnecessary, that Daniel makes it so clear that he is here to get back into the Red Bull Racing team. It’s unnecessary extra pressure that he has set himself. I would have played that a bit differently and downplayed it a little bit.”
Will Daniel’s injury impact him securing a potential seat on the grid in 2024? 🤕#Ricciardo #Rosberg #AlphaTauri #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/LFoOivMSR3
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) September 10, 2023
The Australian did not hold back and gave a fitting reply that said, “I’m not necessarily putting pressure on myself to make it happen. [Red Bull] is the team that fits me best and I want to win again. I’m not putting pressure on it, I’m just being honest with myself about the experiences that I’ve had now, that team is the best for me.”
Rosberg also questioned Daniel Ricciardo’s physical abilities and his overall potential as a driver which was also put to bed when the latter declared, “My hand is much better, and the simulator was a useful way of assessing it.”
The driver confessed that the situation was not great in Qatar, hence he took an additional week to make a healthy comeback.