Daniel Ricciardo mulls F1 return: “Not foaming at the mouth yet”
McLaren ditched Ricciardo from their 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:F1 2023 driver line-up and he has penned a deal as Red Bull’s third driver, as back-up to 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sergio Perez, but his long-term future is uncertain.
As Red Bull launched their RB19, Ricciardo said: “I’m keen to have a crack just to stay race-fit, so the b🉐ody doesn’t go into shock when it hits 5Gs!
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“If there was a test tomorrow, I💎’m still good. But I’m happy to have more time off.
“As the year progresses I will put my hand up.
“But I’m not foaming at the mouth yet. I’m happy to ease into🧔 2023.”
Ricciardo confirmed that the bulk of hi﷽s work for Red Bull will be on the simulator, and will include show-runs and possibly tyre tests. He is unlikely to feature in any Practice sessions.
Is he anticipating a return to the F💛1 grid fu🔯ll-time in 2024?
“I’m still taking a day-by-dꦚay approach,” he said. “I’m not puttin💧g too much stress on, by March 1, knowing how I feel.
“I want it to happen naturally.
“Being at the launch does excite me, it’s a cool feeling. But I’m happy to be taking the year that I am taking💮.
“I feel like a holiday is winding down, I’ve had close to enough time off, I’m going to the Super Bowl nex🃏t weekend then I’l๊l get back into a regime of training.
“I’ll see what ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚhappens over the next couple of months. I need to stay s𝓡harp enough that, if I need to jump in spontaneously, I’m not 20kg overweight!
“I’ll be watching the first race on television. 🐻That will start to warm up a few feelings.
“Melbourne is the first race I willꦫ att𓆏end - the atmosphere, noise, smell will do whatever it does.
“Stoked, excited, wanting to get back? Or just a fan? M💫elbourne will te⛄ll me a lot.”
Ricciardo has previously expressed an interest in racing at the Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia, and although he will miss it this year, h♏is Red Bull contract does permit some non-F1 racing this year.
“There would be flexibility, and if Red Bull were invo๊lved, it’s win-win,” he said. “But, right now, I want men💙tal time off.
“🎶Competition is awesome but it’s a lot. If I step into something else, there would be a level of expectation. This year is a chanc𓆏e to take a light-hearted approach and to ease off.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade co🥀vering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
