“My first timed lap was on the money”: Daniel Ricciardo recollects Silverstone tire test where he was ‘few hundredths’ off Max Verstappen’s pole time

In a recent episode of the "Beyond The Grid" podcast, Daniel Ricciardo reflected on his Silverstone tire test in July, which was followed by his return to the F1 grid.

Having weathered a tumultuous two-year period with McLaren, Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo found himself without an F1 seat heading into the 2023 season. The 34-year-old served the first half of the season as a reserve for Red Bull Racing.

As the third driver, Ricciardo was set to pilot the Red Bull RB19 in the Pirelli tire trails days after the British Grand Prix. His test drive coincided with Red Bull's junior team AlphaTauri releasing rookie driver Nyck de Vries from his contract at the halfway point of the season.

Ten races into the 2023 season, Daniel Ricciardo was back at the helm of an F1 car as AlphaTauri's replacement for Nyck de Vries. The return was crucial for both parties.

Despite missing out on five straight races due to a hand injury, Ricciardo showed promise. He bagged crucial points in the Mexican GP, propelling AlphaTauri to an eight-place finish in the constructors' standings.

Daniel Ricciardo recently sat down at the Beyond The Grid podcast, where he reflected on the Silverstone test. He said:

"Silverstone, race weekend, I was there as a reserve driver. I knew if this test went well, things could change quickly. So the test, it was a little bit like the Sim. I was certainly a little bit nervous, but ultimately, I was excited."

Notably, Ricciardo clocked a time of 1:27.415, just 0.7s off Max Verstappen's time, which earned the latter pole position at the Silverstone race. Recalling the moment, the Australian driver said:

"So I did the first run with those couple spins, came back in, we put some new tires on, we put FP2 fuel in the car. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, the first time lap I did, was on the money."

"Like you take the fuel out, to put it to Quality Fuel, and it was a few hundredths off Max's pole time," he added.

Is Daniel Ricciardo's world championship dream still alive?

The 34-year-driver has always been touted as one with a high ceiling. However, Ricciardo hasn't been able to challenge for an F1 title in his career.

Now, at 34, driving for AlphaTauri, the Australian reflected on his championship aspirations. He said:

"Do I still want to be a world champion? Yes. Has it been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid? Yes."

However, for Daniel Ricciardo, winning or not winning the title won't alter his identity or life's course. He stated:

"But it's not gonna change me as a human, therefore it's not going to change my life as a human. I know my mum and dad are going to look at me the same way whether I am a world champion or whether I'm not."

Ricciardo concluded:

"So, I still want it, and I still deep down believe that I can do it, but it's really not going to change the course of my life."