After his dramatic axing from McLaren final 12 months, Daniel Ricciardo is presently spending 2023 as Purple Bull’s third driver.
While the present openings appear slim, the Australian racer has confirmed he’s nonetheless eyeing a Components 1 seat for subsequent season.
MORE: What does Daniel Ricciardo’s former coach do now?
Will Daniel Ricciardo return to F1 in 2024?
Regardless of not having a seat locked away for subsequent season, Ricciardo has supplied an optimistic replace about his hopes of that includes on the grid.
The 33-year-old defined that he’s in a powerful psychological place to push for a spot in 2024.
“The indicators are pointing in direction of getting again on the grid,” Ricciardo advised media on the Australian Grand Prix.
“I really feel like that is presently the place I am monitoring, at the least in my head, and just a bit few different habits that I am having or doing (are) pointed in direction of that.
The Australian didn’t allude to a specific crew, however there are some potential openings subsequent season close to the rear of the grid – together with AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo – ought to their younger drivers not carry out.
Ricciardo additionally shared that he’s having fun with having the ability to customise his personal calendar a bit extra, with fewer driver-related tasks.
He believes that having further free time has helped to reignite his ardour for the game.
“It is solely been just a few months (out of Components 1) however I feel some itches have been scratched, so to talk,” he added.
“I’ve truly weirdly discovered that the times that I’ve had no schedule are the times once I’ve truly accomplished coaching, and I’ve accomplished issues like I might earlier than.
“It is not being my very own boss however sort of writing my very own schedule has truly introduced out plenty of issues in me.
“I believed I will simply sit on the sofa and watch films all day and eat junk meals, however I am not. That is not me.
“So even this stuff made me realise how a lot I do care about (Components 1).”
What’s Daniel Ricciardo’s position at Purple Bull?
Ricciardo is presently Purple Bull’s third driver for the 2023 F1 marketing campaign.
His job is versatile, however key tasks embody testing, simulator work and industrial exercise.
This typically sees him turn out to be the face of the Purple Bull F1 crew if the full-time drivers – Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez – are unavailable for sure occasions.
Ricciardo drove for Purple Bull from 2014 to 2018, choosing up seven wins throughout that interval.
While you have in mind his bubbly persona, racing expertise and historical past with the crew, he’s the right match for the position.
The Australian’s new job, nonetheless, is to not be confused with the reserve driver position.
That place is being stuffed by Liam Lawson this 12 months, with the younger Kiwi able to step in if both Verstappen or Perez are unable to swimsuit up throughout a given race weekend.
Why was Daniel Ricciardo dropped by McLaren?
After becoming a member of McLaren in 2021 on a three-year contract, Ricciardo solely managed one podium end – a unprecedented victory on the Italian Grand Prix in 2022.
His first season in papaya was barely underwhelming, ending eighth within the standings with 115 factors.
Nonetheless, it was his second season that noticed McLaren push to switch the Australian, ending eleventh with a disappointing 37 factors.
Ricciardo and McLaren mutually agreed to chop the Australian’s deal brief halfway by way of the 2022 season, with Ricciardo departing the crew on the finish of the 12 months.
When requested if he has been in a position to pinpoint the elements behind his struggles, Ricciardo defined to the Within the Quick Lane podcast that he bought right into a cycle of confusion, negativity and overanalysis.
“It is one thing that I’ve actually considered,” he mentioned.
“I really feel that now the season has ended I’ve already slowly let it go. However I am positive I will nonetheless give it some thought over time as a result of it’s a little little bit of a – I do not wish to say a thriller – however the sort of steady struggles I had had been, at the least for me, very overseas.
“All of us have our dangerous races, however to have the quantity that I did, and the extent that it was at occasions, like a second a lap off the tempo, I would scratch my head.
“I feel already final 12 months, through the summer season break, it occurred to me that I used to be driving very consciously. It wasn’t pure anymore. I used to be one step behind.
“That was the place I used to be like, ‘I feel we’re making an attempt to do an excessive amount of.'”