During the 2023 season, Daniel Ricciardo found himself without a seat, forced to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the sidelines. The 34-year-old driver expressed his feelings of exclusion after being released from his previous team. Ricciardo was then appointed as the third driver for Red Bull Racing in the 2023 campaign.
Although Ricciardo initially found his new role less stressful, he couldn’t help but feel envious of the 20 drivers participating in the 2023 qualifying session. He missed the intensity and excitement of pushing a race car to its limit.
However, Ricciardo made a comeback during the 2023 F1 season when he took the seat at AlphaTauri (now RB). Now he races alongside his teammate, feeling the thrill of being back on the track.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen emerged as the winner of the 2023 Monaco GP, leading a phenomenal race even with rain causing some obstacles. Ricciardo, who used to be Verstappen’s teammate, had the advantage of watching his former teammate’s impressive performance.
Ricciardo admired Verstappen’s confidence during the race, especially considering the closeness of the walls on the street circuit. He praised Verstappen’s ability to maneuver the car fearlessly, which is only possible when one is comfortable and in tune with the vehicle.
After observing the driving styles of his competitors while being out for most of the 2023 F1 championship, Ricciardo is now looking forward to competing for wins and podiums with VCARB in the upcoming 2024 campaign.
