Daniel Ricciardo, whose F1 future is uncertain, said he still loves F1 “more than anything”.
Daniel Ricciardo has joined McLaren on a three-year deal for 2021, but his results have not lived up to expectations. Last year’s Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix brought McLaren its first win since 2012, but he trailed teammate Lando Norris for much of his stint with the team.
Most recently, Daniel Ricciardo has been linked with a return to the Alpine F1 team following reports that Oscar Piastri could join McLaren in 2023.
It’s been a difficult time for the eight-time Grand Prix winner, but Daniel Ricciardo insists he hasn’t lost his love for F1.
“This sport is a sport where no matter how good you’ve been, one bad race can change your rating,” said Daniel Ricciardo.
“In a way, unless you win, you always have to prove something, whether it’s to the fans, to the supporters or to yourself. First and foremost, you are the most important.”
“That’s why I keep doing it. I still believe I can do it, I can do it at the highest level, so I always try to prove it for myself.”
“You can still find absolute happiness. And, of course, this sport, probably more than most sports, as I’ve mentioned before, has a very low win rate. In contrast to team sports, which are probably 50%. Very low win rate
“So you have to deal with it and understand that you can’t win every weekend, but you can set other goals and other ways to make sure you find happiness and fulfillment.
“There’s nothing better than winning, but there are certainly still ways to make it happen. I’m still going through it and enjoying it.”
“Of course, it’s also an emotional sport, and when the emotions get high, it’s certainly kind of frustrating. But I still love it more than anything.”
Daniel Ricciardo sits 12th in the Drivers’ Championship with 19 points from the first 13 rounds.
Category: F1 / Daniel Ricardo / mclaren