Hiatus ‘fuelled’ Ricciardo desire to stay in F1

Daniel Ricciardo admits there have been times that he has thought of quitting F1 but this year’s extended break “fuelled” his desire to stay.

Ricciardo arrived on the Formula 1 grid in 2011, racing for the now defunct HRT team before moving onto Toro Rosso and then Red Bull.

He twice finished third in the championship before a turbulent 2018 season with Max Verstappen as his team-mate saw him seek pastures new with Renault a year later.

This year’s championship will mark Ricciardo’s second season with the French manufacturer but also his last as he is off to McLaren in 2021.

The Aussie has signed a multi-year deal with the Woking team.

His first season with McLaren will celebrate a decade in Formula 1 for the smiling Aussie although Ricciardo says there have been times he has thought about walking away.

However, this year’s four-month break away from the track inspired him to continue.

“The biggest thing I took from the time out of the seat and the time away from the racing was how much I missed it, how much I love it, and how much I want to continue to do it,” said Ricciardo during an appearance on The F1 Show.

“There are times when it does get you down and you’re like ‘ah, do I want to do this for another five years or am I going to be done in a year or so?’ But not having it definitely reminded me how much I miss it.

“So, it certainly fuelled me to want to stay and be successful in the sport for many years to come.”

Almost two and a half months after the Australian GP was cancelled, the 2020 season will begin on July 5 with the Austrian Grand Prix.

Follow us on Twitter @Planet_F1 and like our Facebook page.