"The McLaren was normally not speaking my language": Daniel Ricciardo on how the stint at AlphaTauri might be different from his last team

Daniel Ricciardo believes that his confidence in AlphaTauri is very different from where it was in McLaren.

Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, after the Hungarian GP, the Australian claimed that McLaren was more suited to Lando Norris than him.

Asked about the gains he made in his very first outing in the AlphaTauri as opposed to his stint with McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo replied:

“Yea, that’s really the most encouraging thing. I felt obviously for whatever reason the McLaren was normally not speaking my language. It certainly speaks Lando’s language, he certainly knows how to get the most out of that thing. But it felt like especially last year, it was kind of just a bit of a stalemate and it was really hard to get to kind of get out of that.

"So that's why the time off and now a fresh team and environment. It’s just obviously been probably the best thing for me. That’s all I can ask for - progress and being open to learning again. That’s important as well.”

Confident about the progress and gains made from session to session, Daniel Ricciardo claimed he had a different mindset at McLaren compared to AlphaTauri.

Describing his stint at McLaren, the Australian felt he had reached a stalemate with the car where he was unable to translate his understanding of it on track. The 34-year-old is of the opinion that Lando Norris was able to extract more from that car than he did.

Ricciardo felt the time off and change of environment after switching back to the Red Bull camp has benefited him extensively with his performance at AlphaTauri. While the car he drives might not be the most competitive one but he has been able to work around its limitations.

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Daniel Ricciardo reckons Fernando Alonso’s break from F1 inspired him

Daniel Ricciardo revealed an anecdote where Fernando Alonso had told him how his sabbatical from F1 had helped. The Australian took Alonso's experience with a break from the sport as inspiration to re-energize himself for a return.

The AlphaTauri driver claimed he enjoyed his return to the grid and the energy and joy of the crowds. Ricciardo felt his own break helped him reset and regain his confidence.

Asked about how the sabbatical made a difference to him and his performance, Daniel Ricciardo replied:

“Yeah, I really feel, just like having this half year off, even if it wasn’t a year as I expected off. Half a year still made me certainly reset myself. I feel energized again. I actually remember having a conversation with Fernando maybe two years ago now. I wasn’t thinking of taking a break but we were just having a chat I think on a flight somewhere.

"And he said you know the break for him was one of the best things he ever did, that kind of got me thinking if maybe if I feel I ever needed, then not to be too scared of it. And then seeing the year he had filled me with some confidence. I’m really glad to have kind of been put in this position and come back feeling everything normal again. As you said the grid, the start, the emotion, the adrenaline - enjoyed it all.”

Describing the emotion of being back on the grid, Ricciardo said:

“Yea it’s something, you know for sure there’s like nerves, there’s excitement, there’s a lot of these things. But you know sometimes we probably forget to remind ourselves to just to like take it in and just smile at the moment. I was just really trying to enjoy it and of course, you still make sure you stay focused. And just enjoying it, yeah the crowd was pretty cool. I heard a lot of cheers.”

Returning to the grid barely six months after being dropped by McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo seemed enthusiastic to drive again. The Pirelli test with Red Bull in Silverstone helped him regain his confidence which translated on the track in Hungary.

If it weren't for a shunt from Guanyu Zhou on the opening lap of the Hungarian GP, the Australian was well on track to finish within the top 10.