Well, race fans, Daniel Ricciardo is back! But if you were expecting the same old ‘Danny Ric’ magic after his three-month hiatus, you might want to manage those expectations for a bit. Ricciardo, who took a brief “staycation” after fracturing his hand during a jolt in the Netherlands, finished 12th in the US Sprint Race. And while 12th might not sound too thrilling, it’s his performance and spirit that got us all talking.

Though he started 11th at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, a somewhat sluggish start dropped him to 13th. But being the fighter he is, Ricciardo managed to claw back a position, finishing the Sprint Race in 12th for AlphaTauri. Meanwhile, over in the ?super-fast’ lane, Max Verstappen has been having a party of his own. He became the first driver to snatch three Sprint event victories in a single season. But this is about Verstappen’s ex-teammate, the Honey Badger.

The Daniel Ricciardo Race Rust

?I?m feeling alright. That was a big thing I think also, taking enough time off that I come back and I?m not ?I had a bad result because my hand hurts? or something – that?s wasting everyone?s time,? said Ricciardo, clearly wanting to give his fans the performance they’ve been missing rather than any old injury excuse. The West Australian feels he timed his comeback just right. His hand? Totally in the clear. But as for his “race rust”? That’s another story.

“I feel like I gave it the right amount of time to come back and feel confident with it. The hand hasn?t affected me this weekend, so that?s been good.”

“I think today was better. I hate saying this because I am very experienced, but this year I?m not experienced, so there was maybe a little bit of race rust, a few little decisions on the track where I was like, ‘I should know better’,” he shared, keeping things light and honest.

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Here’s hoping Ricciardo shakes off the last of that rust soon. We’re all rooting for you, Danny! By the way, there’s something more to know about Ricciardo’s recovery…

Ricciardo’s hand recovery: More than meets the eye

Daniel Ricciardo is back and bringing a tale from the pit ? not about his races, but his hand. ?It was a lot worse than it first seemed,? the Australian F1 driver said, revealing the trials of his recovery from a broken metacarpal. Having missed five races, Ricciardo is now revving up for a return at the US Grand Prix.

(Isn’t this honey badger helmet cute!) Recounting his ordeal, he commented (as per formula1.com), ?When the accident happened, and we were aware what bone broke, they seemed fairly okay with that bone… But then when we got the surgery done in Spain and we got further checks done, the break was a lot worse than it first seemed.?

Despite the hurdles, Daniel’s spirit remains high. As he preps for his F1 comeback, he reported, ?The hand?s good.? However, he was quick to add some self-deprecating humor: ?I?d say tougher than I thought, but I?m probably a bit of a wuss as well.?

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All said and done, Ricciardo’s candid revelations give fans a peek into the resilience and humor that drives the world of Formula 1. Welcome back, Danny Ric!