Ricciardo admits dramatic F1 moment 'pretty pathetic'

Daniel Ricciardo has called his 2023 Zandvoort crash 'pretty pathetic'.

The Australian broke his hand in the accident, sidelining him for five races just weeks after he'd returned to the track with AlphaTauri, replacing Nyck de Vries ten races into the season.

Ricciardo: 'Zandvoort crash was pretty pathetic'

Speaking with motorsport.com, Ricciardo opened up on how the time away from the cockpit gave him a different perspective on his career and life.

He said: “When you go through something, obviously it can change you a little bit and give you maybe a different perspective, or make you appreciate the good times more or understand how to handle the low.

“Or when you were down, maybe then you realise what's important to you and what isn't.

“So, just through all of that stuff, I think you learn a lot about yourself. And I think coming out of it, I realised that I still really love this, I still do believe in myself.”

But despite reigniting his passion for F1, he suffered another setback just two races into his return when he broke his hand after a crash in practice at Zandvoort, which he described as ‘pretty pathetic.’

“I just felt hungry and motivated again, like my old self, and I was loving it. So then for that to happen, it did temporarily take a bit of wind out of my sails," he explained.

“I just tried to think ahead, to the quickest way I can get better and recover again, and I just refused to let the hard work I'd put in the whole year to get back to that place come undone because of an injury."

READ MORE: Ricciardo reacts to Red Bull F1 rebrand

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