After partying ways with McLaren at the end of the 2022 season, the build-up to the 2023 season was pure agony for Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian had little idea about how he would spend his 2023 campaign. However, after returning to the paddock as a reserve driver for Red Bull, he realized he wanted to make a comeback to F1.
Ricciardo revealed, “Melbourne was my first time on the track this year. I sat in the pit lane and saw the cars. That’s when I said to myself, ‘ I’m not done yet’. I knew I wanted to race, but I didn’t need to race right away. I wanted to take some time to keep the fire burning to see what happened, but I felt like I wasn’t ready to retreat yet. It was too early.”
The Honey Badger admitted that he was looking to find peace of mind by re-joining Red Bull after being let go by McLaren last year #Ricciardo #RedBull #McLaren #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/3FbUqGiXpY
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) December 10, 2023
His time with McLaren was nothing short of a nightmare. In the aftermath of a devastating season and that acrimonious exit from the team, Ricciardo revealed that his self-confidence had plummeted. Throughout 2022, the Honey Badger was being addressed with some really scathing criticism.
It was only once he returned to Red Bull as a development and simulator driver that he regained some confidence after seeing the numbers. Hence, when the opportunity came calling, he signed up to drive for Red Bulls’ sister team, AlphaTauri, for the remainder of the season, starting with the 2023 Hungarian GP.
Daniel Ricciardo is still eager to prove his doubters wrong
After making his return to AlphaTauri, Daniel Ricciardo started showing sparks of his old self and the results were decent. However, it all came to an abrupt stall after his crash at the 2023 Dutch GP.
In the aftermath of his fractured wrist due to the crash, he revealed people advised him to give up. “I noticed how some people probably said, ‘Okay, you tried to come back, now you had a weird little injury, maybe you should just stop.’ But I didn’t see it that way.”
Daniel Ricciardo says that his AlphaTauri #F1 outfit is “not a junior team anymore” as it heads into 2024 with two experienced drivers and a new identity.
— Autosport (@autosport) December 9, 2023
His first race after the injury was the US GP in Austin. It was a disaster. However, in the very next outing, at the 2023 Mexican GP, the Aussie surprised everyone as he slotted his AT04 on the 2nd row of the grid. He carried over this form to the main race by finishing a respectable seventh.
While Ricciardo is eager to get back on track for the 2024 season, his long-term goal is to get that second Red Bull seat. The Australian could get that seat if the Milton Keynes outfit decides to part ways with Sergio Perez.
