Daniel Ricciardo says his transition into the sport after the break helped him jump into the car midway through F1 in 2023.
After being dropped by McLaren following the turbulent end to the 2022 F1 season, Ricciardo found a way back by joining Red Bull as a reserve. After spending some time in his simulator, he got his mojo back. So I knew the spark was still there.
He spent the first half of the season on the sidelines and was finally given the chance to return to F1 at AlphaTauri, replacing Nick de Vries, just before the summer break. The Australians were happy and satisfied, despite the results achieved.
Despite missing a few laps with a hand injury, Ricciardo was overall happy and felt reborn, unsure of his future beyond the end of 2022. “Of course I hope that doesn’t happen, but it was just uncomfortable and painful or whatever,” he told the media. “But obviously now that it’s over, I’m still looking back on this year positively.
“I mean, a year ago, I was sitting here thinking, “This could be my last race.” And I’m not exaggerating. I really didn’t know. Honestly, it’s 50-50. I thought it was just a minute.So, after spending this past year, forgetting my hands, it may be the right word to say that I feel a little reborn.I feel full of new energy. .
“And I definitely felt a second wind. When I talk about that moment, the fact that it doesn’t feel like a setback speaks volumes. This trivial accident has serious consequences. Some may say, “Maybe Daniel should give up.” “Maybe it’s just a sign that he should break up.”
“But I never thought about it. I’ve never felt like this. Yeah, that was probably an even bigger factor in the decision to kick someone’s ass,” Ricardo concluded, as he is now This is not possible.
Once he had time off, he became more comfortable and his perspective changed. “If I didn’t race at all this year and had a whole 12 months off, I don’t think it would be a problem,” Ricciardo continued. “Because the power of Time Out has been really, really beneficial to me and has given me a lot.
“Fortunately, I’ve learned enough in the last six months that if you asked me in January, “Okay, are you going to join AlphaTauri in Budapest? What do you think?” If I had, I would have answered: “Well, maybe I’m not ready yet. I need more time,” he said about this at the time, which made a lot more sense. Driving has become fun again. He was probably 14th or so in qualifying, but he was still just having fun.
“For me, it wasn’t important, but I think it was really important…I really wanted to think about having a little perspective in my free time.”My enjoyment of the sport stemmed from it. That’s not to say it shouldn’t be based on it. Results, e.g.: “Yes, I know a good lap or a good race helps me sleep, but I don’t need to win every time.”
“And when I was 10th on the grid, driving for the team, I think I reached a point where I was completely happy and satisfied. “I never wanted to jump into a car that was struggling at the back last year again. I said no, but it’s starting to make more and more sense,” Ricciardo concluded.
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