Ricciardo finished 13th at tജhe F1 Hungarian Grand Prix, an encouraging first race for AlphaTauri since returning to the grid mid-season.

Afterwards he explained how speaking to a fellow veteran with experience of leaving F1 helped🐈 him on his pathway.

• H♏ow good was Daniel Ricciardo's F1 comeback in Hungar🐓y?

“Just having this half-year off, even if it wa🐷sn’t the year I expected of🌠f, half a year still gave me a kind of reset,” Ricciardo said. "I feel energised again. 

“Actually I remꦅember having a conꦆversation with Alonso, maybe two years ago now. 

“ I wasn't thin💞king of taking a break. We were just having a chat, I think on a flight somewhere.

“He said the break for him𝐆 was one of the best things he ever did.”

Two-time F1 champion Alons🏅o stepped away from the sport for three𝔍 seasons before making a comeback with Alpine in 2021. 

“Tꦆhat got me thinking that if I ever feel I need it, don’t be so scared of it,🌳” Ricciardo said. 

“Then I think 🦄seeing the year he’s✱ had filled me with some confidence. 

“Really glad to have been put in this position and come back feeling everꦬything normal again. 

“The grid, th🦩e start, the adrenaline, the emo☂tion... enjoyed it all.   

“For sure there are nerves, exci𒉰tement, there’s a lot of these things.

“But somet🌜imes we probably forget to remind ourselves to take it in and smile at the moment. 

“Was really just trying 𝄹to enjoy it and of course you still make sure you stay focus, but just enjoying it. The crowd was pretty cool. I heard a lot of cheers so it was fun.”

Ricciardo is back behind the wheel at th🔯is weekend’s F1 Belgian Grand Prix.