Daniel Ricciardo admits McLaren misery ‘humbled’ him and that his torrid season made him ‘a difficult person to be around’… but defiant Aussie is eager to kickstart his Formula One career: ‘Deep down, I know I’m not done’
- Daniel Ricciardo says his McLaren experience ‘humbled’ him
- The Australian was let go by the Formula One team last year
- Daily Mail Australia provides all the latest international sports news
Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that his failure at McLaren ‘humbled’ him as the Aussie driver opened up on his miserable two-year spell with the Formula One team.
Ricciardo, 33, is still open to a return to the grid next year after being let go by McLaren at the end of a poor season in which he was regularly outperformed by younger teammate Lando Norris.
In an interview with The Athletic, Ricciardo reflected that his underwhelming drives acted as a wake up call.
‘I don’t want to say I got humbled, because that’s probably too dramatic,’ he said. ‘I didn’t have my head up my a***. But in a way, I got humbled, and I did realise that OK, I’m not perfect.
‘If I was to get back on the grid, of course the hunger would be filled to the top. ‘But it wouldn’t be coming from a place where my ego or pride is getting in the way.
Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that his miserable time at McLaren ‘humbled’ him
The 33-year-old endured a terrible two seasons and was let go by the team in 2022
‘It’s accepting that it’s not always going to be perfect. It’s just a reality of life.’
Ricciardo said that he was ‘not a good person to be around’ during his struggles on the track, but added that distancing himself from racing has helped him recalibrate.
‘The bad days would (last year) then flow into my weeks,’ he said. ‘Then I would have bad days as normal days when I’m not at the track.
‘I was just not a good person at times to be around. I feel it (being happier in 2023).
‘But when other people that know me well recognise it, I guess it’s true.’
While Ricciardo insists that he isn’t fully set on a return, he says that the feeling is ‘brewing’ inside of him.
‘I’m trying to put myself in the mindset of, if I was competing, how would I feel? Where’s my energy at?’ he said.
Ricciardo says that the desire to return is ‘brewing’ inside him and he wants a second chance
‘I want all those answers now so I can get into next year with a clear plan.
‘I’m glad I’m not foaming at the mouth (at not being on the grid), because then I’d probably be questioning s***, ‘should I have taken the year off?’
‘But it is brewing. Deep down, I know I’m not done.’