Daniel Ricciardo has openly considered the possibility that the 2024 season might mark his second and final departure from Formula 1. This speculation gains momentum following remarks from Alan Jones, the world champion of 1980, alongside comments from Red Bull’s chief advisor Dr. Helmut Marko and the upcoming Liam Lawson, who is poised to take Ricciardo’s position at the junior RB team. At 34, the Australian driver faces challenges in maintaining his earlier performance levels, having voluntarily moved from Red Bull onto Renault and his failed tenure at McLaren.
During a conversation with Nine, a local broadcaster in Melbourne, Ricciardo revealed, “I’m definitely not looking beyond this year.” This statement comes amidst support from Christian Horner, the Red Bull team leader currently facing his own difficulties, who had previously brought Ricciardo back into the fold of the energy drink’s racing enterprise, hinting at a potential reunion with Max Verstappen in the senior team.
Reflecting on his recent struggles, which echo the challenges he encountered at McLaren in 2022 leading to an early exit, Ricciardo shared his current mindset: “The way the last year or two have been for me, I just take it race week after race week. That’s professionally how I’m going about it now and living. I’m not really thinking about ‘Oh, if I get this result, then maybe it means that’. I’m just trying to approach every weekend kind of like I did ten years ago – with a little bit of a point to prove to myself more than anything. A little bit of a chip on my shoulder. And if it is my last year, then fricking make sure I make it a good one. Not in a reckless way, but I’ve got not that much to lose in terms of I nearly lost a seat 18 months ago permanently.” His words underscore a resilient yet reflective approach to what could be his swansong season in Formula 1.
GMM
