Daniel Ricciardo says he has noexpectations ahead of his AlphaTauri debut at the Hungarian Grand Prix, as heprepares for his first F1 race in eight months. The Australian, who had beenserving as Red Bull's reserve driver, replaces Nyck De Vries, who was firedlast week after underperforming so far in 2023. Ricciardo said that working his wayback up into a seat at Red Bull – for whom he raced between 2014 and 2018 – washis ultimate goal, but was keen to manage expectations of what could currently beachieved with AlphaTauri, who sit bottom of the Constructors' Championship withjust two points from ten races. "Red Bull is the dream, so tospeak, but there's no point me thinking about that. There is a lot of work todo here," Ricciardo told media, including RacingNews365.com . "In terms of expectation, there is none. It's just for me,everything I felt driving the car last week is how I want to go racing again. Ijust want to be in the moment, enjoying it, not thinking too far ahead. "I know the [AlphaTauri] car isgoing to have some limitations, but I've got to do the best with what I've got.If it's something I feel I can work with then that's all I need to then feelgood behind the wheel again and use some of my experience to push the team. "As far as this weekend goes, if you say 'where do you wantto finish?' I couldn't tell you, because I just want to know that I've puteverything into it and done a lap that I'm proud of."
Ricciardo keen to impress to secure longer deal
Ricciardo's AlphaTauri deal coversonly the rest of the 2023 season, and the Australian said that while he had notbeen given any specific objectives to achieve, he needs to impress in order toremain in a race seat into 2024. "For sure, there's no realcriteria at the moment, but I need to show something for sure," Ricciardo said. "But also for next year and beyond,there's no guarantees - probably ever - with this sport." The timing of Ricciardo's appointmentcame as a surprise, with some suggesting that F1's four-week break after nextweekend's Belgian Grand Prix would have been a more apposite time to make adriver change. However, the Australian said jumpingstraight into a double-header in Hungary and Belgium would give him plenty ofdata to work through over August. "In a way, [comingin during] the summer break would have been more conventional, but I kind oflike that I've got two races and then the break," said Ricciardo. "I've then gotsome things to think about over the course of the break, so I'm going to tryand soak up as much of these two as I can, and then come Zandvoort, have alittle bit more of a guidance or awareness of where I probably expect to bemyself."
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