McLaren expresses enthusiasm and curiosity about Ricciardo's Formula 1 comeback at AlphaTauri.

McLaren Team Principal finds Daniel Ricciardo's return to F1 exciting.

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella expressed his excitement and interest in Daniel Ricciardo's return to the Formula 1 grid with AlphaTauri. Ricciardo has taken over Nyck de Vries' position for the remainder of the 2023 season at the Red Bull sister team and will be racing in Hungary this weekend.

Ricciardo had left the grid at the end of 2022 after facing challenges during his two years with McLaren. He initially returned to Red Bull in a third driver role but was given the opportunity to race again with AlphaTauri. Ricciardo has stated that his ultimate goal is to return to Red Bull in the future and finish his F1 career there.

After parting ways with Ricciardo at the end of the 2022 season, Stella shared his interest in the 34-year-old's comeback. Stella mentioned that Ricciardo is one of the most popular drivers and even when he wasn't racing, he received cheers from the crowd whenever he appeared on television. Stella believes this is good news for Formula 1 as a whole and expressed McLaren's support for Ricciardo, wishing him the best.

McLaren had a successful outing at the British Grand Prix, with Lando Norris securing the team's first podium of the year. The MCL60 demonstrated strong pace throughout the weekend. Rookie driver Oscar Piastri also showed promise and was on track for a podium finish before a Safety Car intervention pushed him back to fourth place.

Looking ahead to the Hungarian Grand Prix, Stella acknowledged that replicating their performance at Silverstone would be challenging. The track layout and hot weather conditions make it a more realistic expectation for McLaren to be a solid contender for points. Stella mentioned that being able to fight against Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Mercedes while leaving Red Bull as the sole competitor would be a positive outcome. He also mentioned Franz Tost's goal for AlphaTauri to be a Q3 contender, emphasizing the tough competition they face.

In conclusion, Stella expressed his excitement and interest in Ricciardo's return to the Formula 1 grid with AlphaTauri. McLaren continues to support Ricciardo and wishes him the best. After a successful outing at the British Grand Prix, the team aims to be a solid contender for points in Hungary, acknowledging the challenges they face against strong competitors.

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