The times that show how good Ricciardo's F1 return really was

OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 return garnered plenty of attention at last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. He didn’t come home with anything to show for it, but there’s enough evidence to say this was a really impressive first chapter of his comeback. Here’s why.

It was nearly the most underwhelming ending to a story that had captivated the Formula 1 news cycle for nearly two weeks. Daniel Ricciardo back racing at the top level of single-seaters, replacing the ousted Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.

Having launched well enough at the start of the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, he’d got around the slow-starting Zhou Guanyu and was racing along with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. Approaching the braking zone for Turn 1, Ocon swung ahead as they prepared to take the right-hander all together – a pack of eager puppies romping carefree and seemingly, charmingly unaware of the danger arriving quickly as left foots were sharply pressed.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.