Ricciardo Resolute: Earns Place or Exits F1 Stage

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 driver, vows to prove his worth or leave, dismissing rumors of his imminent departure from Formula 1 as he strives to recapture his top performance.

Daniel Ricciardo does not want to remain in Formula 1 just to make up the numbers. The RB F1 driver admits he needs to step up his game to keep his seat. However, he denies the truth of rumors suggesting he will soon be sidelined by his team.

“Everyone on the team is against it. The reality is that I have a contract,” stated Ricciardo. “However, I need to earn my spot. I don’t want to continue with these results for a year and say ‘I should be here because it’s on paper.’ I won’t settle for that. Ultimately, if I get my ass kicked, I don’t deserve to be here.”

The Australian is frustrated by his inability to return to his former level, and he still hopes to regain his full abilities: “I want to get back to where I know I can be, and I am confident I can get there.”

“I am aware that I need to deliver results. But for my part, I am not a rookie trying to prove something or make an impact. I have a history in this sport. I have a track record that shows I can win.”

“But if we get to December and I haven’t been able to extract those results, then maybe I will tell myself ‘I’m done with this’ or ‘I’m not good enough,’ but that is certainly not what I feel deep down.”

Nevertheless, the Australian insists that he is in a different mental situation from his time at McLaren: “I went through this at McLaren and I put up with the noise because I ended up losing faith. I was asking myself ‘damn, maybe I’ve lost it, maybe I can’t do it anymore. Maybe I can’t do it anymore.'”

“But now, I’m sitting here in a different place because I feel rejuvenated. That’s why it’s frustrating, because in my head, it makes no sense. If I get good results here and in Miami, suddenly, I’m not thinking about it anymore. I don’t worry about it, but deep down, I know I need to do better.”