Daniel Ricciardo

The eight-time F1 race winner and “Drive to Survive” star left McLaren at the end of last season.

“To go back and to maybe put myself in any seat that’s fighting at best for like a top 10, I don’t think it’s going to bring the best out of me. Red Bull has Verstappen and Pérez under contract, while Mercedes, the only leading team without two contracted drivers for next year, is expected to agree to a renewal with Lewis Hamilton in the coming months. For the first time in his adult life, he wasn’t beholden to a racing schedule. Ricciardo also said the recent success of Fernando Alonso, who’s 41 years old and took off the 2019 and 2020 seasons, had reassured him a return would be possible should he decide to pursue one seriously. He wasn’t looking to race in F1 just to make up the numbers, yet his struggles at McLaren took him out of consideration for any front-running teams. But he’s also spent a lot of time connecting with family and friends since the end of last season, enjoying the quality time that life racing in F1 does not afford.

Daniel Ricciardo says “signs are pointing” to him wanting to return to the Formula One grid in 2024 and making a comeback to the sport.

So there’s not really that many doors for Daniel to go through.” He wouldn’t go anywhere unless it was a good team. It’s not at all costs.” “I feel like that’s currently where I’m tracking, at least in my head. But there’s still some terms and conditions, so to speak. A more mature, experienced, complete version.”

Ricciardo says 'signs are pointing' to F1 return in 2024... but there's one big caveat — LIVE.

“He’s looking forward to it, he is very relaxed. And then we expect to have a further round of upgrades in the second part of the season after the shutdown. “I don’t think (he is feeling extra pressure). You cannot ever rest on your laurels in Formula 1, whether you’re a team or a promoter or a partner. The improvement in Baku should affect an area of the car that I think has been clear from the presentation of the car, we weren’t entirely happy with in terms of development. According to reports, that figure is expected to exceed 440,000 this year. The Australian Grand Prix is his first appearance at a race weekend this season - one of only approximately eight rounds he will attend this year. It showed that Melbourne delivers on the global stage, which is important. It will be much more apparent, it’s what somebody may call kind of a B-spec car. There is nothing to say.” “I feel like that’s currently where I’m tracking, at least in my head. A more mature, experienced, complete version.”

Fan-favourite Daniel Ricciardo returned to Albert Park on Thursday in his new role with Red Bull, but was taken away before journalists could ask about the ...

[In an August interview with The Age](/link/follow-20170101-p5bce6) following the announcement of his McLaren departure Ricciardo said: “This isn’t the end for me, but I can’t control anything that lies ahead at the moment. There are some drivers like that, but that’s not me.″ While a sabbatical is rare, it is not unprecedented in F1, and at the time his contract termination with McLaren was announced, Ricciardo adamantly and repeatedly expressed his interest to get back on the grid.

The charismatic Aussie has been one of the most popular people on the grid since his debut in 2011, but it's still not too often that a reserve driver gets this ...

"I think he concentrated and spent a bit too much time for his activities out of the cockpit rather than in it. He isn't even on the grid!" It's not really that hard to see where the popularity comes from though. The weird thing is, there's an Australian actually on the grid. You're at the race? [Daniel Ricciardo](https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-drivers/daniel-ricciardo/) not having a race seat for the 2023 season, he's absolutely everywhere in Melbourne.

The eight-time grand prix winner said he can't 'be a slob for too long' with his F1 sabbatical only reinforcing his competitive drive. Read more here.