Daniel Ricciardo made a notable return to Formula 1 at the Hungarian GP last weekend, stepping in for Nyck de Vries, who was let go from AlphaTauri. Ricciardo shared a terrifying detail about the sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix, the race was delayed due to heavy rain, and even when it started under a safety car, the conditions remained difficult for drivers.

The Australian veteran driver also reflects on his recent career slump, Ricciardo hinted at McLaren as a contributing factor, while praising AlphaTauri for their supportive approach.

AlphaTauri very supportive

At AlphaTauri, Ricciardo found a team that embraced his driving style and welcomed his engineering input. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share his insights during engineering briefings, which led to improved performance. The team’s openness allowed him to adapt naturally and provided a positive environment for his return.

These factors are no doubt critical when racing at full speed during the deluge of the sprint race yesterday at Spa where high confidence across the board would be essential.

“They just let me do it with my natural driving style,” Ricciardo stated. “I noticed that they were curious and wanted to hear my opinion in the briefings…”

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One would wonder quite how well the Australian would’ve faired yesterday had he still been driving for McLaren, Ricciardo finished an impressive P10.

“I don’t really want to talk about the time at McLaren anymore,” Ricciardo stated.

“But back then, during the first summer break, I realised that we were going about things the wrong way, although obviously, everyone was acting in the team’s best interest.

“But, looking back, you’d have to say that we probably just did too much.”

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Ricciardo exposes frightening aspect of the Sprint

Ricciardo revealed that there was one point on the track, specifically at Turn 5, where he couldn’t see anything. He mentioned that his engineer advised him to brake early for that turn, but it was not intentional – it was solely due to the lack of visibility.

“Anyway, it was fun. It’s a bit sketchy and hard to see at the start, or for most of the race actually,” reveals Ricciardo,

“Into Turn 5, you see nothing. So my engineer said I was breaking early for Turn 5, but it’s just because I couldn’t see,”

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Visibility was zero

“In the end, I’m glad we’ve got the race done,” shares the Australian,

“Everyone I think is safe, but visibility is a shame because I’ve been doing this sport a while now and I don’t remember it like this.

“You know, the last few years it’s been bad, but five, 10 years ago, we raced in these conditions, so I know the cars are bigger and the tyres and all that,

“We want to race because the weather is also fun. But honestly, I think the onboard captures it well – but we really don’t see anything.”

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What a lap from @OscarPiastri! 😍#BelgianGP #F1Sprint @McLarenF1 pic.twitter.com/qkoKp0OmBT

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 29, 2023