Daniel Ricciardo opens up on career goals in vulnerable Instagram post

Former F1 star Daniel Ricciardo has opened up on his new ambitions after he was punted from his spot at McLaren for upstart Oscar Piastri and left without a drive for the 2023 season.

Despite having not won a Grand Prix (outside of a Bradbury-esque effort in Monza in 2021) since he drove for Red Bull in 2018, Ricciardo’s departure from McLaren was widely seen as unjust and left a sour taste in the mouths of Australian Formula One fans.

Rather than secure a seat with a smaller team and stay on the grid at the expense of his not-insignificant paycheck, Ricciardo opted for a reserve role with Red Bull, returning to the team with whom he twice finished third in the World Championship and won seven Grands Prix.

Ricciardo will not be on the grid next weekend at Albert Park, but will be in the paddock as Red Bull’s reserve driver.

“This is the first year in as long as I can remember that my goals aren’t going to be 100% about racing and competing,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

“I’m back in an environment and ultimately a family that I have a lot of good memories with, and it feels really good to be back there,” he said.

“But it’s not about me this year, it’s about the wider team and trying to contribute and help them where I can.

“Jumping into the simulator, learning their car and helping shape the development are all things I’m focused on doing.

“In turn that will develop my abilities, my confidence and my enjoyment behind the wheel.”

Before Ricciardo signed for Red Bull, former World Champion Jenson Button called it a “strange” choice.

“I don’t know what he would get out of being a third driver,” said Button, now a pundit with Sky Sports F1.

“He’s not a young driver, so he can’t drive the car next year in race weekends (free practice), it has to be a young driver.

“So he really wouldn’t get anything out of it.”

Button suggested that Ricciardo needed to stay relevant, because it was easy to get “forgotten” in the sport.

“It needs to be the team where he thinks he can get a seat for 2024, otherwise it’s game over because you get forgotten after a year in F1.”

Ricciardo mentioned it was a “tough couple of years professionally”, but the competitive streak still ran within him.

“There’s an element of that competitor in me wanting to remind people that I’m still here, still a professional and still contributing to success,” he said.

Surprisingly, Ricciardo spoke about travel as a priority for him this year, which might be surprising given the high-flying, constantly-travelling nature of the Formula One circus that he has been on since 2011.

“I don’t want the year to pass me by, because if I am racing again next year, I’ll wish I’d made the most of the free time whilst I had it,” he said.

“I want to travel more this year. I want to hit some destinations and actually experience the country, slow down and become a local.

“I get so much energy from new countries, new conversations and new things, so I’m really looking forward to being in control of the destination and the schedule.”

Ricciardo also said he wanted to “improve his skills on two wheels”, referring to his love of motorbikes.

“I really want to get better and better on my 110,” he said.

“I’ve always enjoyed motorbikes but never really been able to ride much because the luxury of time hasn’t been there.

“I love learning new skills and I think that drive for excellence that I’m used to will carry over into this hobby too.

“Riding with friends, jumping things and being out in nature - I’m getting excited just thinking about it.”

Ricciardo told the Beyond the Grid podcast late last year that he wanted to ride a 110cc motorbike across America, a country he has a noted affinity with.

“When I eventually stop racing and get a bit of time, I want to road trip around America,” he told host Tom Clarkson.

“I think also, what a 110 (motorbike) going across America would symbolise is slowing down, and just taking everything in.

“We’re always thinking about getting somewhere as quick as we can, getting the job done, getting out, and it’s like no, I want to soak everything in, and just be.”