Whilst fans worldwide were looking forward to the action returning at the 2023 US GP, there was one man whose excitement knew no bounds. Daniel Ricciardo was itching to get out on the track and make up for lost time. The Australian was sidelined by an injury to his metacarpal bone after suffering a crash before the Dutch GP. And was forced to sit out of 5 GP weekends, while his substitute, Liam Lawson, was having a stellar stint in Ricciardo’s seat. Looking at all the action that the Kiwi was getting himself into, the Honey Badger was eager to make a return, and the US GP weekend finally let Daniel Ricciardo unleash himself.

However, not everything seemed to be butterflies and rainbows. Daniel Ricciardo is at an astronomical disadvantage compared to the rest of the grid, having previously raced only twice in 2023. Whilst the other drivers have had plenty of time to understand their cars better, Ricciardo has had none. This was also reflected in his qualifying result, as the Aussie crossed the line with a time sufficient for only P15. Compared to Tsunoda’s P11, Daniel Ricciardo had some catching up to do at the US GP. And that’s exactly what he did!

Daniel Ricciardo took a ‘Stroll’ in the wrong neighborhood at the US GP

Ricciardo was struggling in Qualifying for Sunday’s race. While Tsunoda continued the AlphaTauri trend of almost getting into Q3, the Honey Badger was clinging on to the last spot for Q2. So it’s fair to say Ricciardo had a bit of rust. But the Aussie was determined to make a lasting impression this weekend. So when the time came for the Sprint Shootout, Ricciardo took his absence from Q3 to heart. He quickly found his gears and got up to speed.

While he may have missed out on Shootout 3, Ricciardo improved on his Qualifying performance by 4 positions, leaving only positives in his wake. On the other hand, Tsunoda could be heard raging on the radio after an unfortunate exit in Shooutout 1. However, this was only half the battle won for Ricciardo, as his race pace was still in question. At the very start of the sprint, Ricciardo found himself battling it out with Esteban Ocon, who overtook him as the Aussie tried to pick up the pace.

Reflecting on his performance so far at qualifying and the sprint, Ricciardo shared, “I am feeling alright. I feel like I have given it enough time, and the hand hasn’t affected it. It was nice to be out there. I made a lot of progress from qualifying to the race.” The Honey Badger was still perfecting his racing lines, and a few corners proved to be quite the headache. Which is when Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll caught Ricciardo napping.

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This seemed to light a fire within the Aussie though, as Ricciardo delivered a classic ‘last of the late breakers’ overtake on Stroll, to secure P11 at the chequered flag.

Ricciardo’s Return might spell trouble for Perez

It’s not just Ricciardo’s fans looking forward to seeing the Aussie return to the top step. The Red Bull Racing camp has its eyes set on Ricciardo’s comeback. The Milton Keynes outfit finds itself in an awkward spot, having 5 drivers in their roster, with only 4 seats available. Max Verstappen’s current teammate, Sergio Perez, is under threat from his former teammate, Ricciardo.

The Mexican has been struggling to survive in the second seat while Verstappen pulls away for the win at every race. Adding to his misery is Liam Lawson’s performance as the Super-Sub. Ironically, Ricciardo’s injury may have helped him to some extent, as now Red Bull has found the perfect replacement for the Aussie, in case he were to get the call to the top team. Which leaves Perez on the chopping block.

The US GP weekend has been brilliant for Daniel Ricciardo, as his return might have overshadowed Sergio Perez‘s struggles in Qualifying yet again. The Mexican struggled to trouble the top teams, securing a mere 9th spot on the grid, half a second down on the man on pole, Charles Leclerc. To make things worse, that’s only two positions ahead of where Tsunoda qualified with the junior team. The Mexican did redeem himself at the Sprint race, finishing in the top 5.

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With Perez giving it his all to keep that Red Bull seat and see his contract through to the end, it will be crucial for Ricciardo to continue on the upward trajectory if he wants to return to the team that gave him everything.