When he came back to Formula One for the 2023 season, Daniel Ricciardo made it clear that racing is “the priority” going forward. After missing most of last year’s racing because he left McLaren and then returned to Red Bull as a third driver, Ricciardo was called up to AlphaTauri in the middle of the season to replace Nyck de Vries, who was having trouble. The Australian’s smile and positive attitude have made him a fan favorite over the years, whether he’s walking across the field, working with the media, or appearing on chat shows around the world. It was great to see him back in the front row.
But as his comeback grew, Ricciardo was asked how important it was for people to see him this time as just a race car driver and not as an entertainer. The Australian responded with a new plan.
As Ricciardo’s recovery went on, though, he was asked why he needed to be seen as a racing driver instead of an entertainer. This made the Australian come up with a new plan.
There’s no doubt that I’ve cut back on a lot of things besides riding. Some of my other interests are still alive and well outside of sports, which I enjoy, but I’ve cut down a lot,” Ricciardo was quoted by Formula 1 as saying. “I think all I’m trying to do is make sure that…” It’s been that way for a long time, but clearly the racing comes first. “Thanks to the calendar and schedule, when I have time off, I either go to the gym or sit back and rest for the next race,” he said. Just putting a few things outside of work at the top of my list. It’s easy to get a little bit lost, especially with how the sport is growing, but there’s just so much going on, the eight-time Grand Prix winner said.
Ricciardo will stay with AlphaTauri and drive alongside Yuki Tsunoda for the 2024 season. He earned six points from seven Grands Prix last year, even though he hurt his wrist in a crash and had to miss five races. “You could do a lot of different things.” It’s all really fun and exciting, and I love it all because it’s new and different. But I think that the time off at the beginning of the year helped me realize that I was probably doing too much at times and not putting myself first enough when it came to my body, my healing, and other things like that. To cut a long story short, I’m just trying to focus on that, Ricciardo said.
