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Daniel Ricciardo has officially been confirmed to return to driving duties for McLaren for the Bahrain GP. The Australian driver was not feeling well on the first day of the pre-season test in Bahrain and was later revealed to have tested positive for COVID-19.
The proximity of his sickness to the race had made it uncertain whether the Australian would be available for the event in Bahrain. Even Alpine's reserve driver, Oscar Piastri, was kept as a reserve in case Ricciardo was unable to fully recover.
McLaren has now, however, come out with its official statement that the Australian driver will be available for the race. In a statement shared by the team, it was stated that Ricciardo has returned multiple negative COVID tests and will therefore return to the paddock on Thursday and be available for the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Daniel Ricciardo starts season on backfoot
Daniel Ricciardo's struggles to cope with the McLaren machinery were well documented last season. The Australian struggled to get a grip on how to extract the maximum out of the car and because of this he struggled to score consistently as compared to his teammate Lando Norris.
Although Ricciardo did lead a McLaren 1-2 in Monza, it was one of the few races where Ricciardo was able to express himself in the car as for the rest of the season he did get dominated by his teammate.
Heading into the 2022 F1 season, one of Ricciardo's key objectives would have been to get to grips with the new car in an entirely new set of regulations. It does appear, however, that COVID has put a wrench in those plans.
Ricciardo has missed the all-important pre-season test. To add to that, contracting COVID is not the best of things when you're planning to compete in one of the most physical sports in the world.
The Australian has a mountain to climb before the first race of the season even starts. He needs to get to grips with the new car, he needs to understand the setup that works for him, and to add to that, he needs to be in prime physical condition despite bouncing back from COVID. For now, the situation does not look that great for the Australian but if there is anyone that can make it work then it is Daniel Ricciardo.
