Daniel Ricciardo opened up on his Method 1 retirement on the F1 Past the Grid podcast, with the preliminary feeling of ‘failing’.
Ricciardo joined the F1 grid in 2011, and till his retirement in 2024, he grew to become one of many sport’s most beloved personalities. From his nickname, the Honey Badger, to the Drive to Survive growth, the Australian grew to become one in every of F1’s most well-known names.
Nonetheless, on the observe, his profession had been a rollercoaster. Ricciardo took eight victories and 24 additional podiums in his profession, along with his most profitable stretch coming at Purple Bull. There, he took his iconic Monaco Victory and have become the primary driver to fall into the Max Verstappen teammate entice.
After leaving Purple Bull in hopes of reclaiming the highest driver spot and the championship he’d been chasing, he joined McLaren. Ricciardo struggled in papaya, by no means discovering his stride, and claimed a single win for the crew at Monza.
He lastly departed the crew as they signed Oscar Piastri. He returned briefly to Racing Bulls however in the end retired after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix
The Australian spoke in regards to the expectation he placed on himself in the latest episode of F1 Past the Grid: “You begin racing at such a younger age, and over time you construct a ruthlessness, however that is also inward as nicely. , you could be very harsh on your self and count on lots from your self.”
For Ricciardo, leaving the game got here with the non-public disappointment of feeling that he’d failed.
“I believe that my view of it was [that I was] failing, not performing to the extent I wanted to on the time or not with the ability to end out the season or no matter. It’s then a way of humiliation, like I failed and I didn’t do what I as soon as might.” He stated. “Attempting to take care of these subsequent few months, I understood it as me simply hiding from the humiliation.
“Individuals noticed me out in public. I used to be having a great time and having a drink or no matter, and I used to be simply actually hiding from what I actually felt deep inside, which was a whole lot of ache and disappointment. , I used to be as soon as this child who hoped a minimum of to combat for a world title and clearly win races or no matter, however now it’s like, oh, it’s gone.”
After spending over a decade in F1 and his total life attempting to get there, Ricciardo stated leaving the game compelled him to discover a life exterior F1 with out going through the worry of taking that step.
“Everybody’s path goes to be totally different. I believe truly the worry I had, in hindsight and studying how content material I’m not having that anymore, is that what in the event that they stored simply extending contracts for me? Would I maintain doing it? Was I ever going to show the faucet off?
“I do know I wished to at instances. I can inform you proper now, in Monaco 2022, after the race, I’m sitting in my condominium speaking to my crew, and I used to be like, ‘I don’t need to do that anymore. I’m accomplished’.
“And I’ve had these conversations greater than as soon as over time – Silverstone 2015 was one other time. Positive, you’ve gotten lows and no matter, however there are moments the place I’ve wished to simply get away from it. However the actuality is, would I’ve?
“I additionally suppose you’ve gotten folks round you that inform you an excellent story: you possibly can nonetheless do it, and you find yourself believing a whole lot of these voices. And I do know they don’t imply hurt, however you don’t actually get a lot likelihood to have your personal ideas.
“I believe that might have most likely simply continued, and perhaps I’d nonetheless be racing, and that’s additionally a scary thought. I nonetheless don’t like the way it ended, however there’s additionally part of me which is grateful that they pulled the set off as a result of I wouldn’t need to be doing it now.”
Daniel Ricciardo displays on highs of his profession
His feeling of failure has turned to delight, as time away from the game has allowed him to replicate on the highs of his profession and reminisce.
“Within the aftermath of every little thing, I exploit the phrase failure and humiliation in these items, and I admire a whole lot of the stuff I’ve stated most likely feels very adverse or heavy,” he summarised. “However now that I’m out of that, I believe with the ability to perceive extra [about] life and a whole lot of issues round that, I look again now with way more of a smile than I did a few years in the past.
“I’m positively proud. I believe typically you additionally by no means actually need to replicate that a lot, particularly once you’re racing, since you almost spook your self. If I’m like, ‘Oh wow, I did that’, you’re identical to, no, can’t take into consideration that. I’ve simply acquired to remain on it as a result of it was all simply bizarre for me.”
He admitted that when he appears to be like again at moments like Monza and Monaco, he’s in disbelief at how he acquired there.
“Perhaps each F1 driver feels this, I don’t know, however there’s so few of us. It’s not imposter syndrome as a result of I consider I used to be positively ok to be there and all that, but it surely’s like, how did this occur? , how am I one of many 20?
“I’ve received races. It may be overwhelming to replicate. However now that I’m in, let’s say, a great, even-keeled place, I’m extraordinarily proud, shocked in lots of ways in which all of it occurred.”
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