Ricciardo admits that his move to McLaren has affected his confidence
Present at the Australian Grand Prix, Ricciardo, who now serves as a reserve driver at Red Bull, indicated that his "difficult" time at the Woking team had left its mark on him and damaged his self-confidence.
Daniel Ricciardo is not, for the first time, lined up on the starting grid this season, since the Great Britain Grand Prix in 2011.
A shared responsibility
After accepting to terminate his contract with McLaren prematurely, following two seasons where he was consistently beaten by his teammate Lando Norris, the Australian driver returned to Red Bull where he achieved his greatest successes (seven victories), this time as a reserve driver. This decision allowed him to step back from the pressure exerted in the top category and have more time to be with his family while studying the possibilities for a possible comeback.
Recently present in the paddock during his National Grand Prix, Ricciardo reflected on his state of mind and the way his two seasons with McLaren have affected his self-confidence.
“I will always take some responsibility,” he admitted.
For many years, I truly believed that I was the best, and I am the best in the world, so no matter the situation, I will be able to overcome it. And it is evident that with McLaren, it was difficult for me to do so.
So yes, I was aware that I wasn’t a perfect driver, that I had weaknesses, so I always have something to blame myself for.
Under construction
In 2021, the MCL35M, designed in 2021, displayed a high level of performance. However, apart from its victory at the Italian Grand Prix that year, Ricciardo was never able to close the gap with his young teammate. Worse still, in 2022, the new regulations accentuated the difference between the two drivers, with the Australian unable to adapt his driving to the MCL36.
“I had the opportunity to step back from all of this, and now that I look back at the past two years, I would have done things differently if I had this time again, maybe asked more questions or been a little more demanding,” admitted Ricciardo.
But we live and learn, so I have no regrets. It was a situation and I overcame it. And now, coming back to Red Bull, I felt that I was certainly a bit… my confidence was probably not what it used to be.
Even I, I was a little shy when entering the simulator, I was trying to downplay what was going to happen. But as the day went on, the more comfortable I felt, and the more I felt like I was back home in a car that I honestly felt comfortable with.
So yes, let’s say that I felt recharged after this first day.
