Daniel Ricciardo Reveals Fernando Alonso’s Hand in His 7-Month F1 Hiatus: “I Wasn’t Thinking of Taking a Break”

Daniel Ricciardo making his big F1 return was the talk of the weekend at the Hungarian GP. Proving that he has more to give the sport, Ricciardo had a good first weekend- the break had fulfilled its purpose. However, little was it known that Fernando Alonso planted the idea in the Aussie’s mind.

Unlike Ricciardo, Fernando Alonso announced his retirement from the sport in the 2018 season, ending what would have been a 17-year career. During his break, Alonso competed in various other categories of motorsport including the 24 hours of Le Mans, the Indy 500, and the Dakar Rally.

However, he soon ended his F1 retirement, making a monstrous comeback to the sport with Alpline in the 2021 season. The Spaniard explained that he was “mentally exhausted” after his stint with McLaren, a situation that Ricciardo is well aware of.

After being visibly downbeat after his two years in orange, Ricciardo happily went back home to Red Bull, where he was given enough space to recharge his batteries.

Daniel Ricciardo influenced by Fernando Alonso

Flying with Alonso a couple of years ago, the older driver shifted the Honey Badger’s perspective on racing. “Even if it wasn’t the year I expected, I certainly restarted and I feel energized again. In fact, I remember having a conversation with Fernando maybe two years ago… I wasn’t thinking of taking a break.”

The discussion revolved around Alonso’s retirement as Ricciardo was enlightened after the conversation. “he said that rest, for him, was one of the best things he did. That made me think that, perhaps, if I ever feel like I need it, it shouldn’t scare me too much. So I think that- seeing the year he has had, that has also filled me with confidence.”

Leaving the Woking squad was a good decision, as Ricciardo would still be racing for McLaren this season had the contract not been terminated. While the car has improved recently, his mental state was on the line. All smiles at Red Bull, surely Ricciardo has no regrets.

Ricciardo looks back on McLaren problems

Reflecting on what went wrong at McLaren, Ricciardo blamed it on the chemistry between him and the car. The Aussie stated that Lando Norris understood the car better, and it showed.

“Obviously I felt that, for whatever reasons, the McLaren normally didn’t speak my language. However, he did speak Lando’s language. He certainly knew how to get the most out of that car.”

Ricciardo admits being stuck with the team, often prone to errors and bad results over the race weekend. “I was a little stagnant. It was very difficult to get out of that situation.” Thus the decision to leave was ‘the best thing’ for the driver, as now he paves his path to a seat at Red Bull.