Photo: Oracle Red Bull Racing / Twitter
It feels like, for the past couple of years, every season in Formula 1 has been a silly season filled with drama and heated debates within the community.
One of the biggest events that happened in 2022 was McLaren letting go of eight-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo. It is undeniable that the team had more than enough reasons to make the switch and bring Oscar Piastri on board.
Even so, Ricciardo is not looking back with regret on his choices, even calling his stint with Renault one of his best seasons. As for the issues he faced at McLaren, he explained that, while both sides of the garage struggled with the car, he just took the wrong approach.
Ultimately, in trying to fix the car issues, he ended up sabotaging himself by being too focused on what was not going well instead of what was. The biggest proof of this, according to Ricciardo, is that his pace was getting worse instead of improving over the length of his stint.
Nonetheless, that sparked not only controversy but also wild speculation regarding the Honey Badger’s future in motorsport. From associating him with backmarker teams to assuming he would completely give up Formula 1, the community went crazy with the theories.
However, Ricciardo ended up going back home. No, not to Australia, but to Red Bull, taking up a reserve driver role. This position will see him aiding the team in a few areas, including simulator work and driving at promotional events.
While that is by no means a bad decision, as it secures the Aussie not only continuity within the sport but also a lot of money, many wondered why he made that decision. Well, we’re about to get an explanation from the man himself, as he recently revealed his thought process during an episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast.
When asked about the entire debacle, Ricciardo gave a rather simple explanation. He simply did not want to race in the 2023 season. There are probably a few factors behind why he felt that way, including the drop in pace he experienced in his stint with McLaren.
But that is just an assumption shared by many fans. What the Honey Badger chose to point out is a lot different. During the interview, he stated, “Yeah, you could call it some burnout, but I’m not afraid to admit that or say that, and it’s one of those ones where, you know, everyone will have an opinion and this and that, but it’s ultimately that I know what I feel, I know what I want. It was some of that.”
It would appear that the career choices he made and the path he went down on, led to fatigue instead of a fight for championships. And that seems to have changed his goals regarding his career. Ricciardo even said that the decision was made easier by the fact that top teams did not contact him for a race seat.
The Aussie explained it would have been harder to refuse a position where he could have been consistently fighting for race wins once again. Instead, with only Haas being seriously interested, it was a lot easier for Ricciardo to distance himself from the sport and take his well-paid sabbatical.
Despite that, he feels like this is the right decision, “And I feel very... I don’t want to say that I’m the only driver that feels this way, but I would say that I’m not the normal sportsman where I kind of just use ‘practice makes perfect’. The more I do sometimes, the more I’m just like getting kind of lost in it, where I kind of feel like the power of a break for me, some time off, I could come back better. I know for me that could actually be really good.”
No matter what ends up happening from here on out, Ricciardo can still call himself a winner. Not only due to his actual racing accomplishments but also a couple of other factors. He received a rather sizeable severance package from McLaren and is still involved in the sport, just without all the stress and pressure.
Even so, Ricciardo is not looking back with regret on his choices, even calling his stint with Renault one of his best seasons. As for the issues he faced at McLaren, he explained that, while both sides of the garage struggled with the car, he just took the wrong approach.
Ultimately, in trying to fix the car issues, he ended up sabotaging himself by being too focused on what was not going well instead of what was. The biggest proof of this, according to Ricciardo, is that his pace was getting worse instead of improving over the length of his stint.
Nonetheless, that sparked not only controversy but also wild speculation regarding the Honey Badger’s future in motorsport. From associating him with backmarker teams to assuming he would completely give up Formula 1, the community went crazy with the theories.
However, Ricciardo ended up going back home. No, not to Australia, but to Red Bull, taking up a reserve driver role. This position will see him aiding the team in a few areas, including simulator work and driving at promotional events.
While that is by no means a bad decision, as it secures the Aussie not only continuity within the sport but also a lot of money, many wondered why he made that decision. Well, we’re about to get an explanation from the man himself, as he recently revealed his thought process during an episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast.
When asked about the entire debacle, Ricciardo gave a rather simple explanation. He simply did not want to race in the 2023 season. There are probably a few factors behind why he felt that way, including the drop in pace he experienced in his stint with McLaren.
But that is just an assumption shared by many fans. What the Honey Badger chose to point out is a lot different. During the interview, he stated, “Yeah, you could call it some burnout, but I’m not afraid to admit that or say that, and it’s one of those ones where, you know, everyone will have an opinion and this and that, but it’s ultimately that I know what I feel, I know what I want. It was some of that.”
It would appear that the career choices he made and the path he went down on, led to fatigue instead of a fight for championships. And that seems to have changed his goals regarding his career. Ricciardo even said that the decision was made easier by the fact that top teams did not contact him for a race seat.
The Aussie explained it would have been harder to refuse a position where he could have been consistently fighting for race wins once again. Instead, with only Haas being seriously interested, it was a lot easier for Ricciardo to distance himself from the sport and take his well-paid sabbatical.
Despite that, he feels like this is the right decision, “And I feel very... I don’t want to say that I’m the only driver that feels this way, but I would say that I’m not the normal sportsman where I kind of just use ‘practice makes perfect’. The more I do sometimes, the more I’m just like getting kind of lost in it, where I kind of feel like the power of a break for me, some time off, I could come back better. I know for me that could actually be really good.”
No matter what ends up happening from here on out, Ricciardo can still call himself a winner. Not only due to his actual racing accomplishments but also a couple of other factors. He received a rather sizeable severance package from McLaren and is still involved in the sport, just without all the stress and pressure.
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