AlphaTauri looks quick! When was the last time you heard this statement? Well, they might not be the quickest right now, but there is some improvement in Hungary. And for Daniel Ricciardo, it’s a very pleasant surprise because this is definitely not what he was expecting from the slowest team on the grid. And though he was not in the Top 10, he feels the longer term looks good for him and the team.

After 6 long months, the Honey Badger drove an F1 car on the racetrack in Silverstone. He tested Red Bull‘s RB19 to be able to drive AlphaTauri’s AT04 Budapest onwards. And now that he has driven the AT04 in Hungary, he feels back at home. But this is only the start of his comeback. And according to him, more than his current position, the progress with the team matters most.

Ricciardo said, as quoted by Speedweek, “The position is not that important at the moment. I think today it was more about getting a feel for where I am with the car. Everything felt pretty familiar. Of course, I get a lot of attention from the outside, but as soon as I put my helmet on and get in the car, it feels like I’ve never been away. That’s nice, of course.”

He elaborated, saying, “In the first practice we couldn’t do much, but in the second session we worked a bit with the new tires. But there wasn’t anything to worry about. I had a good feeling in the car in general and I’m not overly concerned, although of course there’s still work to be done.”

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Ricciardo does believe that AlphaTauri has something to feel good about. And his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, feels the same.

AlphaTauri Progress Gets Validated as Yuki Tsunoda Agrees With Daniel Ricciardo’s Appreciation of the AT04

In FP1 at the Hungaroring, AlphaTauri didn’t get enough laps to get any insights. Both drivers did only 7 laps of the circuit. But Ricciardo and Tsunoda were out for the entire FP2 session and that is where the Japanese driver showed his fiery long-run pace. He finished P4 and felt at one with the car.

“So far, it’s been a pretty good practice,” said Tsunoda, in a post-practice interview. “We’ve been top four, which hasn’t happened this season. So far, it’s good. Balance is also… pretty happy with it. Long run, so far, from what I heard from the engineer is pretty okay, and balance felt quite consistent.”

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Tsunoda has better mastery over the AlphaTauri car than his Australian teammate. Do you think that Ricciardo has it in him to out-qualify Tsunoda at the Hungarian GP, in his first outing with the team?