Daniel Ricciardo suggests a reputation change for Nico Hulkenberg upon his newest return, seeing him as proof that the door is not going to absolutely shut.
Ricciardo is making ready for a season on the Components 1 sidelines following his early McLaren exit, accepting a deal to develop into Pink Bull’s third driver slightly than pursue a gap on the 2023 grid with a midfield outfit.
And as Ricciardo departs the grid, Hulkenberg is likely one of the drivers coming in, although not for the primary time.
Hulkenberg’s comeback days go means again, returning in 2012 with Drive India, after leaving Williams on the finish of 2010. Then as reserve driver for the group’s future incarnations, Racing Level and Aston Martin, Hulkenberg appeared as a stand-in on the 2020 British, seventieth Anniversary and Eifel GPs, in addition to the 2022 Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs.
Now, Hulkenberg will return to the grid full-time in 2023 with Haas.
At this stage, it’s possible you’ll as properly name him ‘Nico Hulkenback’, says Ricciardo, who sees the German racer, in addition to the likes of Fernando Alonso and Kevin Magnussen, as examples that after an skilled driver does drop off the grid, it is extremely attainable to discover a means again onto it.
“Hulkenback – he wants to alter his title, as a result of he’s come again so many instances now. It’s no extra berg, it’s again,” mentioned Ricciardo, as per Crash.internet.
“There’s actually one thing. I do know myself clearly higher than anybody is aware of me, and I do know what I want or what I really feel will assist me and issues like that, so I’ve confidence in taking the yr off, as a result of I do know what good it is going to do for me.
“However after all then if you see different examples – and fairly good examples; Alonso or Magnussen, for instance – that’s type of reassuring.
“We’re all wired in another way, and the yr off might have a unique impact on all of us, however really I have a look at Alonso, for instance, somebody who loves racing on a regular basis, and him having that point off and coming again.
I really feel like for me to essentially take away myself a bit greater than possibly what he would have performed will probably be much more highly effective for me personally and what I really feel I profit from.
“Lengthy story quick, that type of stuff encourages me. It’s the icing on the cake by way of me feeling like I’ve performed the suitable factor.”
Daniel Ricciardo should management expectations to safe comeback
Understandably, Ricciardo has mentioned beforehand that he desires to return to a place the place he’s in competition for wins and titles, slightly than dive right into a long-term mission with a midfield group, although this can be a route that he’s pressured to go down.
Until tensions aptitude between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez once more in 2023, and to an uncontrollable degree, it’s unlikely that Ricciardo will discover himself sat in a front-running Pink Bull from the get-go in 2024.
Of the examples he mentions, Alonso got here again with the midfield Alpine group, the identical true for Magnussen and Hulkenberg at Haas, which makes a comeback extra real looking.
So, if Ricciardo decides that he desires to provide himself the perfect likelihood of a spot on the 2024 grid, then he may have one other Renault or McLaren-style mission.
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