Daniel Ricciardo teases 'BREWING' return to F1 after year out

Dan McCarthy
Wednesday 3 May 2023 14:57

Daniel Ricciardo says a potential return to F1 is 'brewing' and insists he is 'not done' as a top-level racing driver.

The Australian is without a race seat in 2023 after being replaced by his compatriot Oscar Piastri at McLaren, following his premature departure from the team.

No other race seats emerged and the 33-year-old was left without a drive this season for the first time since his debut in 2011 with HRT.

His former employers Red Bull snapped him up as a reserve driver and he was watching on in the team garage on Sunday as Sergio Perez won his second race of the season.

Speaking about his future plans, Ricciardo admitted there is unfinished business despite not fully committing to a return, telling The Athletic: “I’m glad I’m not foaming at the mouth, because then I’d probably be questioning s***. ‘Should I have taken the year off?’ But it is brewing.”

Ricciardo still confident in his own ability

The affable Aussie is an eight-time winner in F1, taking the chequered flag for the very first time in the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix with Red Bull.

His best finishes in an F1 season came in 2014 and 2016, when he ended third in the championship on both occasions.

However, his stock at Red Bull began to fall when he was being outperformed by Max Verstappen, and he was moved on to Renault in 2019 where he spent two years before switching to McLaren.

Despite his vast experience, he was often outpaced by Lando Norris and, victory in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix aside, it was a disappointing stint with the Silverstone-based outfit.

Ricciardo maintains he still has what it takes to race in F1 and believes he outclasses most other drivers in terms of ability.

“I’ve never won a world championship,” Ricciardo said. “But for a big part of my career, I was at least fighting for wins or podiums. I always considered myself as good, if not better, than everyone else.”

“I’m trying to put myself in the mindset of, if I was competing, how would I feel? Where’s my energy at?” he added. “I want all those answers now so I can get into next year with a clear plan.”

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