To complete his Formula 1 career at McLaren with a clean race in the Abu Dhabi GP, Daniel Ricciardo admits he was "relieved."
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The Australian driver moved up from 13th on the grid to ninth at the finish line after receiving a grid penalty for his collision with Kevin Magnussen in Brazil, successfully holding off Sebastian Vettel. On Wednesday, Ricciardo was introduced as the third driver for Red Bull Racing. Ricciardo has long planned to skip 2023 and look for a racing position for the next year. The Australian claimed that during his final race with McLaren, he made an effort to remain composed and control his emotions.
Regarding his final McLaren appearance, he said, “I’m happy, and I’m also relieved that the season ended like this and not like the race in Brazil.” “I think that seeing the chequered flag and coming in at the top puts me a little more at ease with how this year has turned out. “Of course, I have no idea what the future will bring. As a result, if this were to be my last race, at least I can say that I engaged in a brief duel with Sebastian Vettel at the finish line, which makes me feel a little more satisfied with my performance. So I’m glad about that.
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Despite his strong performance, Ricciardo acknowledged that he didn’t feel like he had utilised the car to its full potential. If he had the similar feeling as during his charge in Mexico, he responded when asked by Motorsport.com, “I guess like on pace, it was still tough to really get all out of it.” “But I thought I did a good job of attacking and defending with what I had. “And at the rate at which he was closing, I was fairly certain that Vettel was going to catch me, so to hold him off made me proud, and Lewis’ accident meant that Seb grabbed the final career point.” I was a little happier for him as a result.
Knowing he won’t be competing next year, according to Ricciardo, will give him some motivation. In a way, I hope that feeling makes me a little bit agitated, a little bit hungry, and a little bit edgy. “So that’s when I’ll actually know if my spot is back on the grid. When I watch as a fan and don’t care all that much, I may also say, “Okay, then my future looks different.” Of course, I wish to experience these emotions as well.
