Daniel Ricciardo says that his 2018 results are down to “bad luck”, and stressed that he was never serious about not participating in the final two Grands Prix.
Ricciardo has retired from eight races this year, six due to mechanical failure, a substantially higher rate than any other of the front-runners.
He has also been struck by failures at other points in the weekend, such as in Japan, where he was forced out in Q2 before recovering to fourth in the race.
“I looked at the first six months of last year,” said Ricciardo ahead of this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
“Max [Verstappen] seemed to have most if not all of it. Then the last six months I seemed to have most or all of it.
“So last year it was spread out in a way between us, and this year certainly it is been more me.
“Max had the failure in Budapest and maybe somewhere else. But it certainly has been a lot more top heavy for me this year. I don’t really have any explanation.
“It sounds really simple and silly, but bad luck really is the best term I can use.
“All the team still like me, so no one has it in for me. It has just been the way it has worked this year.”
Ricciardo quipped in the immediate aftermath that he was “done” with his RB14 and suggested handing it over to Pierre Gasly, before offering an explanation in a social media video post a few days later.
“Even when I said it, I knew I was saying it in an emotional state,” he said.
“Deep down I don’t really mean it. I didn’t read any media that week but I believe some people actually thought I might not come.
“So I thought it was good, probably more for the mechanics, to make sure they know what seat to put in the car. And just to let everyone know.
“I didn’t do anything after the race or anything like that. So just to let everyone know I was doing okay. I knew the team would appreciate it was well. But I also wanted to give it a bit of time.
“I did not think a great deal about it. When I did the video itself on social media, I was like I will just check in and say hi from a beautiful mountain spot.”
