AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo admitted ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that he didn’t “really want an off-season” given he is in the middle of a Formula 1 comeback.
Ricciardo’s commitment to F1 is in stark contrast to his mood in 2022, where the Australian was happy to be stepping away after two disappointing years with McLaren.
Shortly after the conclusion of the last campaign, Ricciardo was brought back into the Red Bull fold as third driver to complete commercial activity, simulator runs and the odd test outing.
However, when Nyck de Vries was ousted from AlphaTauri after just 10 grands prix, Ricciardo found himself back racing in F1 with Red Bull’s second-string outfit.
But his comeback was hampered by a broken hand sustained in practice at Zandvoort, resulting in a five-race absence interrupting his acclimatisation back into the top tier.
“I think when I look back on this year, it’s a year I never would have expected in so many ways,” Ricciardo said ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“I didn’t expect to be racing at all this year, let alone kind of going through everything else.
“You know, the place I am and what I feel, let’s say inside my heart ultimately, I’m really in a happy place, and I’m happy being here racing again.
“I’d say like, just fully hungry and motivated. And yeah, it’s probably the first off-season that I would not really want an off-season, you know.
“I want to keep racing and keep a bit of the flow going. But also the thought of having a little bit of a break and getting myself prepared for next year, that excites me as well.”
Luckily for Ricciardo, he has less than 100 days to wait until F1 racing resumes again in Bahrain, which will commence a record-breaking 24-round calendar.
Ricciardo is set for a full campaign in 2024 with AlphaTauri alongside teammate Yuki Tsunoda as he seeks to fully recapture the form that earned him eight race wins.
2024 will also be vital for Ricciardo to stake his claim for a return to a race seat at Red Bull.
Mexican Sergio Perez’s current deal at Red Bull runs out at the end of 2024 and his inconsistent form in 2023 will provide Ricciardo with hope he can return to that seat.
