With the hope of securing a spot at Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo made a comeback to F1 with AlphaTauri (now RB). However, based on his performance in the first two races this season, it appears it will take a lot longer for him to materialize his dream. His dismal performance has even prompted Helmut Marko to give him a fair warning. Nevertheless, forgetting any such comments, Ricciardo recently reminded the world of his success based on a technicality.
Ahead of the Australian GP race weekend, Daniel Ricciardo was posed with an intriguing question – “Who will be the first Aussie on the podium in his (Ricciardo’s) home Grand Prix?”
Responding to the question, Ricciardo initially said, “10 years ago actually, it happened. I stood on it.” However, later the Honey Badger revealed that it was Mark Webber who stood on it. He said, “Actually, Mark stood on it. Didn’t he? His first race?”
In his initial statement, Ricciardo alluded to his P2 position at the Australian GP in 2014. At that time, stewards disqualified the Honey Badger from P2 because his car ran with too high a fuel flow rate.
Nevertheless, as soon as he realized that many had picked up on his irony, Ricciardo quickly rectified himself to acknowledge Mark Webber’s presence on the podium. Mark Webber stood on the podium at the Australian Grand Prix back in 2002. Even though the Australian didn’t finish in the top 3, his achievement of a respectable P5 might have prompted him to start some wild celebrations.
As Daniel Ricciardo was finishing up, he also addressed the question of how much missing the Australian GP last year had affected him. The 34-year-old says that when he saw the cars leave the Albert Park garage last year, he felt a little envious.
How is Daniel Ricciardo approaching the upcoming Australian GP?
Daniel Ricciardo will be making his tenth Australian GP appearance in the upcoming weekend. The fans and Ricciardo himself have always been thrilled about this race in particular. However, the Australian is aware that, compared to previous times, his chances of achieving success are much lower this time around. Despite this, Ricciardo has claimed he is trying to secure a handful of points for the team at his home race.
Considering the Australian Grand Prix is quickly approaching and Ricciardo is under contract with the RB team only until the end of this season, he wants to compete in it as if it was his final home race.
Speaking about the same, the #3 driver told the Herald Sun, “You can’t look too far ahead and predict what’s going to happen or what might happen. I’m now riding with the mentality that every weekend counts and I’m doing my best – hopefully the fans can appreciate that.”
Besides this, Ricciardo also highlighted his thoughts during his bad stint with McLaren in 2022. At that time, the Honey Badger thought that the race in Melbourne could be his last. But after sitting in the V-CARB car, his perspective has changed. However, Ricciardo continued to acknowledge that he won’t be racing for many more years, which is why he treats every year as though it were his last.
