Ricciardo sets F1 retirement DEADLINE for himself ahead of Hungary return

Daniel Ricciardo has vowed he will retire from F1 before reaching the age of 40, insisting that he won't replicate the path taken by rival Fernando Alonso.

The beloved Aussie will step into an F1 cockpit on a race weekend for the first time in 2023 when the drivers turn out at the Hungaroring this weekend after he was drafted in as Nyck de Vries' replacement.

Ricciardo's hopes of a return to the F1 grid looked slim off the back of two miserable years with McLaren, but De Vries' downfall has opened the door for Ricciardo.

The Dutchman's exit and Sergio Perez's struggles mean that Ricciardo has a clear route back into the Red Bull team should he hit the ground running with AlphaTauri this season.

READ MORE: Ricciardo reveals his ONE AlphaTauri demand ahead of F1 return

Five year deadline for Daniel

“Ideally not,” Ricciardo told The Independent when asked about the prospect of following Alonso down the road of racing into his forties.

“Ideally, I’d have had enough success in the next five years. I think there’s something cool about going out on top," he remarked.

Ricciardo then discussed his feelings towards retirement as he enters the final stage of his motorsport career.

He added: “This is my element but what this year has shown is I’m okay after retirement, I do have hobbies and other things going on.

"For lots of athletes, the thought of retirement is scary – what do you do now? You’ve lived this crazy life for so long that it can be daunting.

“But for me, let’s say the next three-to-five years of awesome success and then… peace!”

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