Revealed: Stunning Daniel Ricciardo pace which would have rocked Silverstone
His best lap in Tuesday’s Pirelli tyre test would have been enough to qualify him in P2 for last weekend’s F1 ♌British Grand Prix, according 🌄to .
His lap time was 1:27.415, just 🅘0.7s off Max Verstappen's time which earned pole position at Silverstone, reports .
In mitigation it is fair to say that faster tyre compounds are available in tests, compared to the weekend, and the track was also in better co💮ndition than during Saturday’s qualifying.
Ricciardo was driving 2023 machinery for the first time when he got behind the wheel of the🧸 RB19.
Despite a spin, it seems the F1 veteran has still got wha👍t it takes.
)— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1)While he was testing theꦆ RB19, it was confirmed that he will make a full-time comeback driving for AlphaTauri for the rest of this season.
Ricciardo will replace Nyck de Vries with immediate effect, in time f𝔉or next weekend’s Hungari🌸an Grand Prix.
Ricciardo’s return comes days after he exclusively told Crash that he would accept an Alp🗹haTauri drive if it gave him a shot at claiming a Red Bull seat.
“Obviously I lost my seat a🅰nd it was like ‘shit, my career i♎s over type thing’,” he told us.
“And now, six months later I’m g▨etting to drive the best car [in the tyre test].
“Even that alone I’m just taking it all in my stride.ꦑ I’m very appreciative and excited. I know I’ll be watch෴ed. I know it’s not just ‘hey man, go and do some laps for us’.
"Of course at this level everyone’s watching. But there’s no pressure🤡. I’m just treatin🐟g it as something that’s going to be an amazing experience, something that’s going to spark me again.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American spꦑorts, to football, to F1.
