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F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham recently spoke about how Daniel Ricciardo could draw inspiration from Fernando Alonso after seeing the veteran stand on podiums and succeeding in F1. Despite being the oldest driver on the grid, the Spaniard has shown exceptional on-track skill. He has already bagged two podiums in the first two races of the 2023 F1 season.
Hence, Natalie Pinkham mentioned that Alonso's success might fascinate and inspire Daniel Ricciardo and other drivers to get back into the sport and perform at the highest level. She later discussed how Alonso's move to Aston Martin was one of his best career choices. Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Pinkham stated:
"Well, it's just incredible, isn't it? It's a lovely additional subplot to this season, this renaissance with his career; it's just, its exciting, it's cool to watch, [and] it gives people like Daniel Ricciardo some hope, doesn't it? Never say never, and you know, he made enough bad decisions with his career; it's great to see a good one, great to see the fruits of his labor."
Daniel Ricciardo suffered quite a lot at McLaren as he was unable to keep up with his teammate, Lando Norris. Hence, he left McLaren at the end of the 2022 F1 season but was unable to get a seat in any team, forcing him to leave the grid. Luckily, he managed to keep his toes inside the sport by signing with Red Bull as their reserve driver.
Though he is currently helping the Austrian-British team promote their brand by creating content with the marketing team, he himself mentioned that he would love to return to the grid whenever an opportunity comes up. Seeing an old driver like Fernando Alonso standing on podiums would have fueled the fire in Ricciardo's belly. Only time will tell when the Honey Badger will return to the F1 grid.
McLaren team boss on how 'transparent' Daniel Ricciardo's contract talks were
Zak Brown, McLaren's team principal, recently recalled how 'transparent' and open the team was with Daniel Ricciardo when they discussed his future with the team. Speaking to Formula 1 News, Brown explained how the entire process was smooth and how Ricciardo still has a strong relationship with the team, simply because the discussions of his departure ended on a positive note. He said:
“We were transparent through the whole process and I know there had been tonnes of media speculation when it happened, how it happened. Daniel and I know what really happened and I think that’s why we still very much have a strong relationship. It was all transparent, well-communicated and there’s time we can tell people what’s going on and then there’s other times we just can’t.”
In August 2022, McLaren finally published a statement where they confirmed that the Australian will not be driving for them after the 2022 F1 season.
