Daniel Ricciardo as soon as known as a return to Crimson Bull alongside Max Verstappen the “fairytale” ending to his Components 1 story.
However that dream state of affairs appears rather less seemingly in the intervening time, given the latest announcement by the group of a brand new contract with Sergio Pérez. Now as an alternative of constructing a transfer to Crimson Bull, Ricciardo is preventing to maintain his present seat at Visa Money App RB F1 Group alongside Yuki Tsunoda. And with VCARB deciding to maintain Tsunoda in a type of seats for 2025, Ricciardo is hoping to fend off reserve driver Liam Lawson for the opposite.
Nonetheless, Ricciardo desires to “earn” that seat.
Talking on the FIA Press Convention forward of the Spanish Grand Prix, Ricciardo was requested about his personal F1 future. The veteran driver hailed his latest consequence within the Canadian Grand Prix — the place he completed contained in the factors for the primary time in a Grand Prix all season (Ricciardo completed fourth within the F1 Dash Race in Miami for his first factors of the yr) — as a much-needed consequence.
“Nicely, I imply, Canada clearly helps,” began Riccardo when requested about his future. “As I mentioned, I wanted a consequence like that.”
The motive force then elaborated on his mindset heading into the Spanish Grand Prix, in addition to his ideas on his F1 standing.
“Clearly I wish to keep. In order I say, now that I’m again in that Crimson Bull household that’s the place… I actually don’t see myself wherever else,” continued Ricciardo. “In order that’s the place I’d love to remain and proceed.
“I additionally mentioned, I believe, earlier than the weekend in Canada that, you already know, I clearly wish to earn it. Like I don’t simply need it to be like, ‘ Yeah. Yeah. OK. Keep one other yr’. I clearly wish to be right here as a result of I do know that I nonetheless belong right here and may do can do performances like I did final week. So it’s additionally as much as me simply to guarantee that I can preserve pulling it out. And in that case, then I’ll be very pleased to remain.”
Later within the press convention, Ricciardo elaborated on the “psychological anguish” that drivers undergo when going through an unsure future.
“Yeah, it’s powerful. It’s powerful as a result of as Carlos touched on, there’s not likely only one factor behind a call. There’s so many … it may be very taxing,” described Ricciardo. “In fact, that you must give it the time required as a result of it’s your future and it’s your profession and clearly one thing you’re employed very laborious for, but in addition as he touched on, sooner or later you simply wish to make the choice and type of transfer on.
“However yeah, it’s powerful as a result of you’ll be able to’t take it flippantly. It’s a type of ones. I assume all of us undergo it. We’ve all been via it in a roundabout way, form or kind. However I believe it means loads to us and that’s why we clearly put a lot weight on it.”
Ricciardo will get his subsequent crack at incomes that spot in tomorrow’s twin apply classes forward of the Spanish Grand Prix.
