“I’d Rather Be a Spectator”: Daniel Ricciardo Reveals Why Las Vegas GP Won’t Be His Preferred Race for Making F1 Return
Daniel Ricciardo lost out on his F1 seat after a nightmare spell with McLaren which ended in 2022. After failing to find a place for himself in 2023, he returned to Red Bull as a third driver and is spending the year on the sidelines.
Despite not being a full-time driver in F1 this season, Ricciardo, being extremely popular, is still one of the most talked-about figures in the sport. Ricciardo’s popularity has particularly skyrocketed in the US, but given a chance, he would rather not make his F1 return in America.
In a YouTube video with Aussie content creator Ponden, Ricciardo was talking about his F1 return. Ponden asked the former McLaren driver about his preference if he was to take part in one Grand Prix in 2023.
Ricciardo replied by saying that he would love to take part in his home race in Australia, describing the atmosphere as ‘special’. The 33-year-old acknowledged that most fans would guess his answer to be Las Vegas, but he wants to enjoy F1’s inaugural race in the Sin City differently.
“You probably think I was going to say Vegas,” Ricciardo said. “But I think I’d rather be a spectator and enjoy it.”
Ricciardo’s love affair with USA
On multiple occasions, Ricciardo has expressed his love for America and how much he feels at home when F1 travels to the States. He cited the US Grand Prix in Austin as his second home race previously, and makes the most of his time there whenever he visited Texas.
When the Las Vegas GP was included in the 2023 calendar, very few drivers were as excited as Ricciardo to travel to Nevada. Vegas is one of the most recognizable cities in America, and having an F1 race over there was described as an unmissable spectacle.
Austin. It’s been real. My love for you remains strong. #texasforever pic.twitter.com/2SbV4hytSo
— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) October 27, 2015
However, given the chance, he would want to make a return in front of his home fans, because the amount of love he gets in Australia is second to none. Getting behind the wheels of the RB19 in a race this year is extremely unlikely for Ricciardo, but he dreams of racing in front of his home crowd in Albert Park again.
Returning to Red Bull gave Daniel Ricciardo much needed confidence
As reported by Top Gear, Ricciardo’s confidence took a major hit during his disastrous McLaren stint. Losing to Lando Norris week in week out made him doubt his own abilities, and he needed to do something to believe in himself again.
After returning to Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo found himself in a familiar environment once again. The people at Milton Keynes knew him, understood him well and were used to way he works. As a result, just being around these faces once again and helping them by fulfilling his duties as a third driver for Red Bull helped him regain his confidence.
Ricciardo went as far as saying that his first two months at Red Bull helped him forget about his nightmarish two year spell at Woking with McLaren.
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