At the end of the 2022 season, when McLaren decided to discontinue their alliance with Daniel Ricciardo, he made a bold decision. The Australian race driver decided to take at least a year-long sabbatical from the sport even after some decent offers on the table for him.
He reasoned that after serving in the sport for over a decade, he now feels exhausted. His argument had some backing as his last two years in F1 were marred with inconsistent performances with McLaren, and he looked like a shadow of his former self.
However, his decision got some criticism from the drivers from the yesteryears. Mika Hakkinen and Ralf Schumacher are two prominent names who claimed his return would be tough as F1 is too competitive and never stops for anyone. But Ricciardo is not worried.
Ralf Schumacher on Daniel Ricciardo…
“Personally, I can’t imagine him getting another chance in Formula 1. But I wouldn’t know who Alpine should take at the moment.” #F1
[Sky Germany] pic.twitter.com/JGwbkHBdkS
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) August 15, 2022
Daniel Ricciardo tells legends to stop worrying about him
Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Ricciardo has joined Albert Park as Red Bull’s third driver. During one of the interviews, he was asked about former F1 drivers’ judgment on his sabbatical.
“I know me better than anyone, and I know that this is right for me in 2023,” said Ricciardo in a Youtube video by the Project. But talking about 2024 is also futile for Ricciardo.
He claims that he is still unsure whether he should mark his return next year or wait a bit more and do things he usually misses out on amidst a hectic work schedule.
Rennaisance age for veterans
Seeing the trends, Ricciardo shouldn’t actually be listening to many people who think his return would be tough. In the last three years, drivers who were forced to leave the grid have managed to return back to F1. Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg, and Kevin Magnussen prove the point.
Barring Alonso, Ricciardo has a better portfolio than all the recent returns in F1. Moreover, several teams can always shelve his stint with McLaren as one bad move. So, certainly, everything is not over for Ricciardo.
But it remains to be seen when Ricciardo will feel ready to be back in the sport. However, a question also arises, will he even get a straight call-up from a midtable team or a title-contending team, or will he have to restart his climb with a smaller team?
