As the F1 engines roar back to life, a familiar face is poised to take his place on the grid. Daniel Ricciardo is geared up to make his comeback to the high-octane world of F1 at the Hungaroring this weekend. This would mark his return to the Red Bull family as a racer, albeit with AlphaTauri, following the unexpected departure of Nyck de Vries. But amidst the frenzy of his return, the Aussie powerhouse has been offered an invaluable piece of advice from an unexpected source, Red Bull legend Mark Webber, a figure Ricciardo once seemingly overlooked.

Ricciardo began his F1 journey with Toro Rosso, the Red Bull feeder team, in 2012 before graduating to RBR in 2014. He filled the seat left vacant by the retirement of Mark Webber. Ricciardo’s Red Bull tenure saw him securing impressive victories and outpacing his world-champion teammate Sebastian Vettel. However, a growing rivalry with Max Verstappen, another rising star, led to Ricciardo’s move to Renault and later McLaren in 2018. Mark Webber, who at that time advised him to stay put with Red Bull, felt Ricciardo’s decision to move as a brutal disregard of his counsel.

As per F1 Maximaal, Webber candidly revisited the decision that took Ricciardo away from Red Bull. “I wanted him to stay with Red Bull. I think he remembers when I tried to persuade him to stay a few years ago. But it was clear that he wanted to go to Renault at the time and then he went to McLaren.” As Ricciardo prepares to don the AlphaTauri suit, Webber’s advice rings loud and clear: “He’s been gone for a year and now he’s back. The stopwatch never lies. You give pressure or you are under pressure. He’s back on the grid now and he clearly needs to assert himself quickly against Yuki (Tsunoda, ed.) and hopefully he can perform well.”

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It’s crucial to remember that Ricciardo’s return isn’t just a homecoming. It’s a race against time, against high expectations, and against a formidable teammate in Yuki Tsunoda.

The AlphaTauri gamble of Daniel Ricciardo: A strategic play or a desperate bid?

Jumping back into the racing grid with AlphaTauri, currently at the bottom of F1’s Constructors’ standings, is a stark deviation from Ricciardo’s decision to take a sabbatical after leaving McLaren last year. However, with Sergio Perez’s inconsistent performances presenting an opportunity, Ricciardo finds himself with the chance to apply pressure on the Mexican. His ultimate aim with AlphaTauri? “To push this car and try to get it inside the top 10, that would get everyone pretty fulfilled and excited.” 

Ricciardo elucidated his mindset behind this seemingly risky maneuver. He mentioned, “It feels a bit like back when I was working my way up through in the Red Bull family. That was it: ‘If you get results, then we’ll keep pushing you, we’ll keep pushing you’. So that’s really the mindset.” Ricciardo’s return is a strategic move layered with personal ambitions and the desire to prove his mettle once more.

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Watch this story | When Daniel Ricciardo Almost Had a Chance to Move to Ferrari

It’s a risky gambit, no doubt. But if anyone can play it to the hilt, it’s Daniel Ricciardo.