Ricciardo almost didn’t race following Hubert’s death

Finley Crebolder
Daniel Ricciardo questioned whether he wanted to compete in the Belgian GP following Anthoine Hubert's death.

Daniel Ricciardo questioned whether he wanted to compete in the Belgian GP following Anthoine Hubert's death.

Daniel Ricciardo says he came close to not driving the Belgian Grand Prix following the tragic death of Anthoine Hubert on Saturday.

The Renault man finished the race in P11 after damaging his R.S.19 on the first lap, but says he was just happy to cross the line.

“I’m glad today is over, I’m glad the race is over,” Ricciardo told reporters in Spa.

“I know, weirdly enough, the best way we can kind of show our respect was to race today, but I don’t think any of us actually wanted to be here or wanted to race – at least, I’m speaking for myself, but I’m sure I’m not the only one.

“It was tough, it was certainly tough to be here and try and put on a brave face for everyone. I know a lot of people in the paddock are hurting after yesterday.

“I think everyone’s relieved it’s done and we can move on from here and hopefully it’s the last time this stuff happens.”

The Aussie revealed that he came close to not racing at all but drew strength from seeing Hubert’s family at the track.

“You question, ‘is it really worth it?’, for sure,” Ricciardo told Motorsport.com.

“Because at the end of the day, it’s a simple question but it’s a pretty honest one as well.

“Yeah, it’s our job and it’s our profession and it’s our life, but also it’s still just racing cars around in circles.

“To be honest, seeing some of his family here today, that’s what gave me more strength than anything else,” he said.

“Taking my hat off to them doesn’t do it justice. I don’t know what to say. I could not imagine being in their position, I felt they were a lot stronger than any of us today.”

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Anthoine Hubert Daniel Ricciardo

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