“Sebastian Vettel reached out like a real friend”: Daniel Ricciardo reveals 4-time World Champion stood by him after McLaren axing

Daniel Ricciardo moved to McLaren in 2021 after spending two seasons with Renault. He wanted to get back to winning ways with a team that was making strides toward competing for the Championship and McLaren seemed like the perfect destination for him.

Unfortunately for Ricciardo, his stint in Surrey has turned out to be a nightmare. The car did not suit him in 2021 and even this year he has spent the vast majority struggling behind teammate Lando Norris. McLaren pulled the plug early and decided to let go of him at the end of 2022 in spite of him having a year left on his contract.

Being axed by McLaren was difficult for Ricciardo. This is especially because he had to come to terms with the fact that there won’t be a place for him in F1 next season. Out of all the drivers, Ricciardo revealed that Sebastian Vettel was the one who stood beside him like a real friend during his sacking.

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Sebastian Vettel called Daniel Ricciardo multiple times

Ricciardo and Vettel were teammates in 2014 during the former’s first and the latter’s last year in Red Bull. It can be argued that both drivers spent the best part of their careers with the Milton-Keynes-based outfit.

Both of them have gone through a lot since their one year together at Red Bull. However, as Ricciardo revealed ahead of the 2022 Brazilian GP, they remain good friends. When asked about his McLaren departure at media day, the honey badger said that Vettel was the only one who stood by him constantly.

“Vettel picked up the phone a number of times this year,” the 33-year-old said. “And was just a friend who cared. And reached out as a real friend would. Having friends like that is so important.” The kindnesses he’s shown me were kind of unexpected. But yeah, just super nice.”

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Where will Ricciardo be in 2023?

Ricciardo was aware of the fact that there won’t be enough opportunities available for him in 2023. He also insisted that he won’t remain in F1 just for the sake of it, and would only join a team if they can guarantee wins and podiums. Since none of the top teams had an open spot, Ricciardo accepted that he would spend the 2022 season on the sidelines.

As of now, Ricciardo is most likely to take up a reserve role. He admitted that he wanted a break from F1, but didn’t want to lose touch. This is why it makes sense for him to take up the role of a reserve driver, and Mercedes have been heavily linked with him in recent weeks.