"Two-for-one is not common"- Daniel Ricciardo still buzzing over his double Alpine overtake at 2022 F1 Hungarian GP

Daniel Ricciardo found solace in his brilliant double overtake on Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon in an overall abject 2022 F1 Hungarian GP for the Australian.

Ricciardo started from P9 on the grid at the Hungaroring after a decent showing in qualifying. The McLaren man, however, could not remain in the points places by the time the checkered flag fell for varying reasons.

Daniel Ricciardo was one of the few unfortunate drivers who were unable to get enough heat into the hard tires on what was a relatively cool race day in comparison to FP1 and FP2. The 33-year-old was also responsible for a collision with Aston Martin F1's Lance Stroll, for which he was handed a five-second time penalty.

In an interview with Autosport after the race, Ricciardo found a silver lining to take with him into the summer break, saying:

“Those races are not fun, of course, when you go backwards. I think there was a moment there where I made the double move on the Alpines, and I was like maybe we’ve got something going here? But it was still early in the race. That was a high. That gave me a little bit of a buzz today.”

The Honey Badger went on to elaborate on how he telegraphed the overtake on both Alpine cars, adding:

“It was some of the only [radio] chatter I had today, because unfortunately, we were going backwards most of time. And yeah, it got me geed up for a little bit. I could kind of see it transpiring, I knew Alonso was struggling a bit on the hard. And I saw Ocon come out. And I was, alright, they might battle a bit here. And I might be able to collect one of them. But then I saw them drift, drift, drift. And I was maybe I can get both, and I did so. Yeah, two-for-one is not common. So I thought we would get a little bit of screen time!”

Two-for-one is not common for many F1 drivers, but Daniel Ricciardo is no stranger to such moves. Fans will remember the Australian diving down Turn 1 at the 2017 Azerbaijan GP to overtake Nico Hulkenberg, Felipe Massa, and Lance Stroll in one fell swoop. Ricciardo went on to win at the Baku City Circuit that day.

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Daniel Ricciardo running out of time at McLaren, feels former Australian world champion

Daniel Ricciardo is on borrowed time at McLaren and could soon be out the door, according to former F1 world champion Alan Jones.

Jones won the 1980 world title with Williams ahead of Nelson Piquet to become the second Australian after Sir Jack Brabham to achieve the feat. He has also recorded 12 wins and 24 podiums throughout his F1 career.

Daniel Ricciardo has failed to live up to expectations since leaving Red Bull for Renault before subsequently joining McLaren in 2021.

Since his departure from Milton Keynes at the end of 2018, the Australian has only managed three podium finishes, of which one was a win at the 2021 Italian GP under fortuitous circumstances.

In an interview with the Herald Sun in Australia, Jones weighed in on Ricciardo's future with the Woking-based team. The 75-year-old said:

“[His future at McLaren] is questionable at the moment. Unless he makes a few improvements – quick smart – I really can’t see him being there for too much longer, to be honest. He is a great little race driver and he is a hell of a nice guy. But, of course, we all know nice guys don’t get anywhere, particularly in Formula 1. The bigger d**k you are, the better off you are – there are a few out there at the moment that have proved that. A contract in F1 doesn’t mean much. But, if the situation remains the same as it is, I have no doubt in my mind they will exercise one of those options that are in the contract.”

The silly season in the F1 driver market is already underway three days into the summer break. With rumors of McLaren and Oscar Piastri having an agreement in place for next season making the rounds, Daniel Ricciardo may be seeking some clarity on his future soon enough.

The Australian has maintained that his deal runs till the end of the 2023 season but it remains to be seen if any contingencies put in place by either party will be triggered between now and then.