Daniel Ricciardo says he chose to be Red Bull's third Formula One driver next year over pursuing a race seat elsewhere because he wanted a year away from competition.
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After losing his seat with McLaren for 2023, the Australian is in early talks with Red Bull about taking on a non-racing role that might include reserve, test, promotional, and simulator tasks. While the contract has not yet been signed, it is believed to be a formality that will be disclosed soon. Ricciardo’s decision comes despite Haas having approached him, and an agreement to be Kevin Magnussen’s teammate might have kept him on the grid in 2023. However, Ricciardo has revealed that he decided shortly after the summer break that he did not want to race again next year. When asked by Motorsport.com about his choice to join Red Bull, he stated, “I knew that I wanted some time off next year from a race seat and just from competitiveness.”
“It had clearly been a long and exhausting couple of years with the problems, so it was quite evident to me shortly after the summer break that that was what I wanted and what was best for me. “So it was: ‘All right. ‘What will be the next best thing?’ And the more I thought about it, the more I realised that being involved to some extent with a top team was certainly the desire. “But it’s not finished. That’s why I haven’t come out and confirmed it, because the truth remains: it’s not done. But I can clearly look you in the eyes and tell you it’s the most likely choice at this point.”
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Ricciardo believes that taking a break from the intensity of a racing season will help him better understand whether he has the motivation to return in 2024. When asked what would happen if he decided not to make a comeback before the middle of next year, he replied, “Then that’s my response.” Honestly, I think that’s also in a way the beauty with this. It’ll either fuel the fire and make me hungry and more motivated than ever, or it will actually be like ‘oh, this is the right thing for you’, and in that case then I must be really happy.
“Because as much as you go through highs and lows of racing, I’m still very happy with life, and am privileged to live a good one. So if next year I’m not interested in coming back, then I must be doing some really cool shit.”
