The Hungarian GP 2023 is concluded with Red Bull star Max Verstappen taking to the chequered flag ahead of the rest of the grid for the 44th time in his F1 career. McLaren driver Lando Norris took the second step of the podium and Perez followed him in third. The race was an exciting one for sure, full of thrill and adrenaline-inducing action right from the start to the end.
Even before the lights went out, this race at Hungaroring was a highly anticipated one. Fans have been eagerly waiting to see Daniel Ricciardo back on the grid since the news of his return surfaced. Finally, after a week of buffer, the “honey badger” took the wheel of the Alpha Tauri AT-04 on Friday at Hungaroring. After successive practice sessions, it was evident that the Aussie very much has still got what it needs.
On Saturday, Ricciardo did a great job putting his Alpha Tauri in Q2. This was particularly impressive because he qualified ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda who has been stellar this season. There had been reports since his induction into the team, citing the plausible issues that the Aussie might face while tacking the AT-04. However, right on his first weekend, Ricciardo looked like he never left.
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Daniel Ricciardo’s recovery after the first lap fiasco
After a strong Saturday performance, Ricciardo lined up in 13th position today for the race. However, it turned out to be a nightmare for multiple drivers right at the beginning, including Danny Ric himself. Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu had a terrible start putting him at the back of the grid immediately. Not just that, in an attempt to make it back, Zhou rammed into the back of Alpha Tauri of Yuki Tsunoda and Ricciardo was thrown in the mix.
It was highly unfortunate for Daniel Ricciardo. He dropped from P13 all the way to 18th on the first lap after he was hit from behind by Zhou. However, after a dedicated effort through the race, Ricciardo was able to make up places. After the first round of pit stops, he was able to catch up to the mid-field.
In this process, Ricciardo pulled off some interesting overtakes down the inside with his classic late braking moves. By the end of the race, he did manage to recover back to his original position of 13th. His young teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished a couple of places later. This, though not ideal, can be considered a strong comeback from the Aussie driving for Alpha Tauri. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Honey Badger.
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