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“It closes the door to F1”: 33-year-old Daniel Ricciardo feels racing outside Formula 1 will ruin his career

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"It closes the door to F1": 33-year-old Daniel Ricciardo feels racing outside Formula 1 will ruin his career

Daniel Ricciardo feels that racing outside of F1 in 2023 will close all doors for a potential return to the sport in 2024. 

2022 has been a very difficult year for Daniel Ricciardo. The Aussie moved to McLaren in 2021, and his career has gone downhill ever since. Besides his Italian GP win last year, he hasn’t had any memorable moments with the Surrey-based outfit and has been comprehensively outperformed by teammate Lando Norris.

McLaren decided to pull the plug early, and will part ways with Ricciardo at the end of 2022. Even though he had a year left on his contract, this decision was made. Ricciardo’s young compatriot Oscar Piastri will replace him at McLaren.

For Ricciardo, his 2023 plans are up in the air. As of now, he’s not close to joining any team in F1, and he has insisted that he won’t drive for a team that’s not competitive.

There were also rumours of the honey badger exploring other racing ventures like NASCAR, but after his recent interview, that seems unlikely.

Also read: Max Verstappen opines Fernando Alonso would have won more than 2 title in ‘other cars’

Racing outside F1 will hurt image, says Daniel Ricciardo

In the two-week break leading up to the Singapore GP, Ricciardo went home to Australia. He spent time on his farm, with his bikes, and taking time to think about his future. When he finally returned to the paddock in Singapore, the 33-year-old admitted that he has more ‘clarity’ about the same.

Ricciardo feels that he can either drive for the F1 team at the back of the grid or take a complete off-year and hope for a 2024 return. He ruled out moving to other racing series because it will affect his image.

“I love other motorsport disciplines, but I don’t see myself there,” the former Red Bull driver said. “I feel as well. I jump into something like that, and then it closes the door in F1. It kind of feels like I’ve checked out, and I haven’t.

“I’m still very much driven towards remaining here, so I don’t want the view to be ‘ah he’s focused on other things’. I think, for people to see me do something else and be like ‘that’s now where his head’s at. He’s not coming back’. So yeah. I’m solely focused on F1.”

Also read: Singapore government spent $90 Million to host 2022 Singapore GP

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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