Ricciardo told F1 honeymoon will be brief as rival fires 'cut-throat' warning

21 July 2023 , 15:18

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Ricciardo has been thrust into the deep end at AlphaTauri (Image: Getty Images)

Daniel Ricciardo has been warned that his attempt to revive his Formula 1 career with AlphaTauri this season will be a difficult task.

The Aussie lost his place on the grid when he was axed by McLaren at the end of last season. As a reserve for Red Bull this year, he was hoping to return to racing action in the future but wasn't expecting it to come this soon.

But he is back on the grid for this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, racing for AlphaTauri. And the 34-year-old has made it clear he is hoping to use it as a springboard to get back into a Red Bull seat in the future.

There is, however, a big job on his hands before he can really think about any of that. The car he has inherited from Nyck de Vries, the AT04, has been probably the slowest on the grid this season.

AlphaTauri sit rock bottom of the standings with just two points earned so far, and the competition for the top 10 has been extremely tight at every race weekend. Drivers such as Valtteri Bottas will be among those with whom he will be fighting to sneak into those minor points places.

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And the Finn has warned Ricciardo that the task ahead will not be for the faint-hearted. "I don't think it's going to be an easy first couple of races for him because it's been an intense season. Everyone is really used to the cars and the gaps are small," the Alfa Romeo racer told reporters in Budapest.

"But he's a good driver, so I'm sure he will figure it out at some point. Let's see, it depends on his performance. He's got experience and has been in many different cars. I'm sure he will adapt, the question is how quickly."

Valtteri Bottas thinks Ricciardo is in for a tough time back on the F1 grid (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Regarding De Vries' axing, Bottas opined: "Obviously, it's really a shame for Nyck. It was quite a short first rookie season, unfortunately. But then it's nice for Daniel, who clearly wants to be back, and now he has his opportunity. That's F1 sometimes – pretty cut-throat."

Ricciardo has already been given a similar warning by Red Bull's long-serving team adviser Helmut Marko. "AlphaTauri is not in a good position, last in the constructors' standings," said the 80-year-old as he expressed his hope that the Aussie's arrival would provide Red Bull's sister team with the boost it needs.

He added: "We have to see from Ricciardo how he compares to [team-mate Yuki] Tsunoda. I think Yuki is underestimated by a lot of people. The AlphaTauri is not the easiest car to drive, but Yuki has proven that it is possible to achieve good results."

Daniel Moxon