Ricciardo makes his return at the Hungarian GP where Alonso won his first race

By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Auto Racing Writer

Daniel Ricciardo is celebrating his unexpected return to Formula One at the Hungarian Grand Prix. It’s the same track where fellow veteran Fernando Alonso won his first race 20 years ago. Winning is becoming routine for runaway championship leader Max Verstappen. He is the overwhelming favorite for Sunday’s race. The 25-year-old Red Bull driver is chasing a seventh straight win and ninth overall this season. He already has 43 career wins. That’s three more than the 41-year-old Alonso and the 34-year-old Ricciardo have managed between them. Verstappen was only 5 years old when Alonso won his first of his 32 races. It came at the Hungaroring in 2003 when Alonso drove for Renault and raced against Verstappen’s father.