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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Daniel Ricciardo is back! The Mclaren driver won the Italian Grand Prix for the first time in his career. Needless to say, the Aussie driver was quite ecstatic about his victory after what he described as the toughest season of his F1 career.

Ricciardo took the lead from Verstappen at the start and controlled the race beautifully, despite what was happening behind him. But there is a possibility that one of his special fans will be happier with the win than Honey Badger himself.

WATCH STORY: When F1 Drivers Had a Blast on Top Gear Featuring Hamilton, Vettel & Ricciardo

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The McLaren driver responds to US Open champ Emma Raducanu

As reported by GrandPrix247, the newly crowned US Open champion Emma Raducanu had mentioned that she is a big F1 fan and Daniel Ricciardo is her favorite driver. When the McLaren driver was told about that and was asked if he had watched Raducanu’s win in New York, he replied –

“Thank you, Emma. I feel very confident answering this question because I watched the whole game last night. I can say it now, I’m not going shy away from it.” said Daniel.

via Reuters

“I went to bed at probably quarter to one because I couldn’t turn it off; it was awesome. I was like ‘ah, I’ll watch the start’ and then I watched it all, so it was amazing, it was phenomenal and it’s awesome that she’s a fan of the sport, I think more than anything.

“I appreciate the love for me Emma, but I think also like seeing her last night (she) was not like overwhelmed by the stage and just kind of taking it all in and like playing with aggression and I think just backing yourself, as I touched on before. That’s so powerful, and it was cool.

“That’s why I’m a fan of the sport. I love all types of sports because you can gain knowledge from them. You can learn from other sports and the mindset, whether it’s the way to play or… I don’t know. It’s pretty awesome, so congrats to you Emma. You killed it,” said the McLaren driver while congratulating Raducanu.

READ MORE: What Is the McLaren Driver Lineup for the 2021 F1 Season?

I think there is still more to come: Daniel Ricciardo

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Ricciardo mentioned that despite winning the race, he thinks there is more performance in the car that he can extract. He acknowledged the win was a boost in his arms and stated that he felt better in the car throughout the weekend.

via Reuters

“Closer. Definitely closer. I think there is still more to come. I don’t know if you will ever find anything, but that’s obviously the way the sport is. Just inside myself, I’ve felt better since the second half of the season and that doesn’t always need to translate into lap times,” said Ricciardo on his progress.

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This was Ricciardo’s first win since his famous 2018 Monaco redemption triumph. The McLaren 1-2 also pushes the team ahead of Ferrari in their battle for 3rd in the constructors’ championship.

Is Ricciardo back to his best? Let us know.