Ricciardo "hungry" for F1 return after illness

Daniel Ricciardo is "hungry" to return to the cockpit for the F1 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after illness prevented him from taking part in last week's test.

McLaren driver Ricciardo was forced to watch from the sidelines as Lando Norris completed all three days of running at the Bahrain test after the Australian tested positive for Covid-19.

Now recovered and cleared to return to the paddock, Ricciardo is eager to make up for lost time.

“I’m glad to be back, feeling better and ready for the Bahrain Grand Prix and season ahead," said Ricciardo.

"I was disappointed to not be in the car last week but despite being unwell, I’ve been able to keep in touch with the team, chat to Lando about the car and prepare as best as I can for the race weekend.

"I want to maximise the free practice sessions to better understand the car and fine-tune everything ready for qualifying and lights out on Sunday.

"It’s hard to know where we’ll be on the grid but it's going to be competitive and I’m hungry to get back in the car and go racing."

Ricciardo joined McLaren from Renault ahead of last season and after a mixed year that saw struggles and also a race win, he added: "I’m determined to build on last year’s performance and use everything the team and I learned from the highs and lows to make this season one of our best.

"A new iteration of cars is something I’m no stranger to and comes with a lot of excitement.

"I’m looking forward to the battles out on track with these new cars, particularly at Bahrain with its overtaking opportunities. Let's get some great results for the team!”

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