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“Brought Me Back to Normal Daniel:” Ricciardo Outlines the Cathartic Process That Made Him Shrug Off Horrors of McLaren Past

Published 07/16/2023, 6:15 AM EDT

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Daniel Ricciardo, who made his racing debut in 2011 with Hispania Racing in the middle of his career, moved to Toro Rosso and then to Red Bull, winning seven of his eight career wins. And after making his comeback to the “home” team as a reserve driver, the flamboyant Australian has now again been fixed in an AlphaTauri. However, the procedure took a long time. Upon leaving Red Bull, the honey badger tried his luck with multiple teams, but he didn’t have the success he needed. His poor performance at McLaren, which resulted in the Australian’s expulsion from the team, made the situation worse.

Ricciardo opened up about the entire procedure and how Red Bull helped him escape the traumas of his past at McLaren while referencing the cathartic process in a recent exclusive interview with F1’s Lawrence Barretto. Ricciardo remarked, “Getting back to Red Bull and kind of just kind of the reception I had walking back into that team was really kind of just in a positive way a little bit overwhelming and then getting back on the Sim.”

Later he added, “Yeah, I was still like a bit unsure how it’s going to go, if the car would feel like it used to and if I was gonna be that for a lack of better words, like the old me so once I done a few sim sessions and yeah, started feeling like myself again. And then just kind of brought me back to normal Daniel where I was yeah falling back in love and I’m ready to go again.”

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Although Daniel Ricciardo’s comeback is the second-most exciting news, the first one remains about the call he got from the Red Bull Taskmaster. More than his comeback, fans might love to hear about this. Was the Honey Badger prepared for his role in the AlphaTauri and how did the flamboyant Australian respond to the call? Let’s hear it from the AlphaTauri drive himself.

How did Daniel Ricciardo respond to the Red Bull taskmaster’s phone call about his Alpha Tauri seat?

Daniel Ricciardo publicly expressed his desire to return to the summit of motorsport. Although he wanted a spot in the Red Bull car, the Austrian team was unable to provide him with one. However, he did step in for Nyck de Vries to join Red Bull’s sister squad. In addition to the honey badger’s return to the track, the revelation that he spoke over the phone with the outspoken, Helmut Marko, may excite the fans.

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Ricciardo stated, “I was like ‘ok, let’s just hear what he has to say’. That’s probably the best thing, because sometimes, you try to prepare yourself for ‘what if he asks me this’.”

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He added, “I didn’t really need to think much about it. Being back in this family, I feel like I am kind of going through it all again – these are the calls I used to get and these are the moments they used to throw in front of us.”

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WATCH THIS STORY: Will Daniel Ricciardo Get Swapped in for Sergio Perez at Red Bull?

Do you think Ricciardo will help the AlphaTauri bag some crucial points?

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Written by:

Aditya Srivastava

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Aditya Srivastava is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of writing experience. He developed a keen interest in the sport after the unforgettable Abu Dhabi 2021 race. As a graduate of a premier institute, Aditya is committed to producing high-quality content that is engaging, informative, and accurate.
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Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai