Daniel Ricciardo has explained why he would have unfinished business in Formula 1 if he retired at Visa Cash App RB, despite being ‘grateful’ to drive for the Faenza team.
The 34-year-old made a quick return to the pinnacle of motorsport last year after losing his seat at McLaren. But driving for RB is not the Australian’s ultimate target, and Ricciardo has never hid his desire to return to Red Bull. Yet his form in 2024 would not merit a promotion.
Ricciardo has struggled to show his true talent and has strained to match the pace that Yuki Tsunoda has produced. The 24-year-old is dominating their head-to-head battles in the Visa Cash App RB garage. Ricciardo trails Tsunoda for points scored, race results and qualifying.
Daniel Ricciardo ‘would still love’ to be a Formula 1 world champion
Tsunoda has scored 15 points to Ricciardo’s five during the first seven rounds of the season. The Japanese talent also bests his experienced Australian stablemate for Grand Prix results 5-2 and leads 6-1 in qualifying before the Monaco GP. Ricciardo is the top RB star in Sprints.
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Ricciardo has struggled with the high-speed corners and for grip throughout the early meets this year. But his ‘ultimate’ goal remains to compete for world championships. So, should he retire as an RB racer without any titles, Ricciardo admits he would have unfinished business.
“As grateful as I am, I would still love to be world champion,” Ricciardo told PlanetF1. “I still want to win races and find those highs again because that’s why we do it. But, look, getting fourth place with this team felt like a win.
“So, if my career were to end with this team but I was able to pull a string of fourth places, would I be happy? Yeah, I’d be happy. Is it ticking that ultimate box for me? It isn’t. But I could still walk away with my head held high.
“But I don’t know, even when I say that, I still feel… It’s probably like the retirement thing deep down. I believed it wouldn’t happen so when I say that, I think I’d still be okay. But, deep down, I feel like there are still some things ahead for me.”
Daniel Ricciardo has never been a true championship contender
Ricciardo has never been in a position to truly contend for the drivers’ championship during his Formula 1 career. His best championship results came with Red Bull in 2014 and 2016 as the Australian finished in third place. But Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were miles clear.
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Hamilton won F1’s first drivers’ championship in the turbo-hybrid power unit era with a 146-point advantage over Ricciardo. Rosberg also took the 2016 title before immediately retiring with a 129-point advantage over him. Ricciardo has not ended a year higher than fifth since.
Ricciardo has also won just one race since the 2018 Monaco GP with his victory for McLaren at the 2021 Italian GP. His surprise win around Monza took the Perth native to eight wins in his career. Ricciardo also achieved his third pole position to date at the Mexican GP of 2018.
The post ‘As grateful as I am’: Daniel Ricciardo explains unfinished business if ‘my career were to end’ at RB appeared first on F1 Oversteer.