AlphaTauri no longer a junior team according to Australian F1 superstar Daniel Ricciardo

Australian ace Daniel Ricciardo believes that AlphaTauri is no longer a junior team affiliated with Red Bull.

After sitting out the first half of the season, Daniel Ricciardo made his return to racing action as the new AlphaTauri driver. The 34-year-old replaced rookie Nyck de Vries who was let go from the team after just 10 races into the season.

Ricciardo made his return to AlphaTauri after nearly a decade, as he previously drove for the Italian team when it went by the name Toro Rosso. A brief stint which consisted of highs, such as the Mexican GP and lows, such as his 5-race absence due to injury, had the Australian driver showering praises for his current employers.

In a recent interview, Ricciardo shared an optimistic outlook on the team's trajectory. He said (via Motorsports.com):

“I feel like we're going in the right direction. And honestly, everything I fed back to the team, I feel like they've actioned or done their best to make it happen or make it work."

The former Red Bull driver commended the responsiveness of the team to his feedback. Expressing satisfaction with the team's attitude, he said:

"I would say, I don't want to be like patronising, but their heads are in the right place. I feel like we're all kind of meeting in the right place and looking ahead. I think they value the experience I have, and I think that's really important kind of moving forward, and they're motivated."

"I feel like this is not a junior team anymore," Daniel Ricciardo claimed. "And I think with a lot of plans for next year hopefully we can prove that on track and get more points, like the last few races."

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AlphaTauri is in a good place, according to Daniel Ricciardo

Dwelling on the team's aspirations for the upcoming season, the Australian driver said:

"I feel like there's a lot for me kind of coming back in that's really exciting. I think there's also a team that is kind of rebuilding, a little bit like how I've kind of done this phase in my career. So we're all kind of on a similar path."

Praising teammate Yuki Tsunoda's promising season, the 34-year-old said:

"I would say there's a lot of confidence. And I think Yuki's season, I think he stepped up a lot and kind of proved himself."

He added:

“And I think the team has a lot of faith in me, and they still see me as a Red Bull driver and the results I had, and not as a McLaren driver and the results I had! So we're all in a good place."

Daniel Ricciardo will continue to drive for AlphaTauri next season alongside Yuki Tsunoda. It remains to be seen if the Italian outfit can outperform their eighth-place finish this season.