Daniel Ricciardo now feeling 'STRONG' after sharing F1 fitness targets

Ex-F1 star Daniel Ricciardo has shared an insight into the strict fitness goals he had to achieve whilst competing in the pinnacle of motorsport.

The 36-year-old was dropped by junior Red Bull outfit Racing Bulls midway through the 2024 season after failing to deliver enough points-scoring finishes to see his final campaign through.

The eight-time grand prix winner enjoyed his prime in the sport at Red Bull's main F1 outfit where he raced alongside four-time champion Max Verstappen, with the Dutchman pushing him to his limit before he opted to leave the squad ahead of the 2019 season.

Now, as the Aussie racer appears to be coming to terms with retirement and enjoying life away from the demands of F1, he has opened up on the pressure of maintaining his fitness and how his exit from the sport has handed him more freedom.

"We had such parameters to stay within. We had to watch the calories, we had to watch our weight. Now I’m just training for me and for my wellbeing," Ricciardo told Men’s Fitness.

"It’s nice to be able to have a few more calories and lift some weights. If I feel like going for a run, I go for a run. If I feel like going to the gym, I go."

"It feels really good to lift again. It’s like slow and steady gains, but I feel healthy. I feel strong. And I think if I can do something each day, that’s kind of a little win," he said.

Ricciardo free from fitness pressure after F1 exit

After making the controversial career move to leave Red Bull back in 2019, Ricciardo triggered a string of team switches, none of which ever felt like the right match.

His move to Renault for 2019 and 2020 marked a pivot in his status on the grid, which saw him go from fighting for race victories with Red Bull to battling among the midfield with the French manufacturer.

His final win in the sport came at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix and provided a rare highlight in an otherwise tough two seasons with McLaren.

Upon his return to the Red Bull family, ex-F1 boss Christian Horner even stated that the team 'didn't recognise' their former star, claiming he had picked up bad habits on track at Zak Brown's team.

What was perhaps more distressing for fans of the driver who once displayed the most famous smile in motorsport was the toll his struggles at McLaren took on his health.

In the past, Ricciardo has reflected on his struggles in the sport with an honest view, and in 2023 stated: "I don’t want to like go too far and be like, ‘Yeah, I was depressed’ or whatever but I certainly wasn’t always eating as much."

Thankfully, the fan-favourite racer has regained his strength and away from the stress of the F1 championship, is finally focusing on himself and his personal fitness goals once again.

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