Ricciardo's F1 Season: Frustration Yet Hope

Ricciardo reveals his season’s frustration, still eyes great achievements ahead.

Daniel Ricciardo is seeking greater consistency in his Formula 1 results. The RB F1 driver has delivered some impressive performances this season but desires to shine more regularly. He acknowledges he has yet to find the consistency he seeks, a current regret of his.

“It’s my biggest frustration,” Ricciardo stated. “It’s frustrating because I look in the mirror and tell myself I can do this very, very well, but how do I ensure I do it consistently? Because if I manage that, I’m laughing.”

“However, it’s more positive than negative. There will come a day when I can no longer perform as well, but I far prefer to have these sporadic good days that show I still have the ability to do something great—and then, it’s up to me to do it more often.”

Ricciardo remains motivated as he approaches each race as a new opportunity to achieve a good result: “There will be tough days, tough moments, but I still love the anticipation of a race week, I love the opportunity.”

“There’s the curiosity—could this week be an exceptional one, could something special happen? I still believe it’s possible—that’s where the excitement lies and stays.”

“The competition is tremendous. Of course, I’ve won before, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than winning, but for now, scoring points is our little victory—so that’s the fight. If I manage that, I’ll leave the track happy, and I’m sure I’ll have fun.”

Better preparation “the week before the race”

The Australian has considered other ways to perform well at Grands Prix, including being at his best level before the first practices, thus perfectly preparing for the weekend.

“Some things have changed. After Monaco, I dug a little deeper. I felt ready in my race weekend, but the results weren’t really there. With the help of my team and the people around me, I’ve tried to see how I could change some things.”

“Okay, race weekends might be alright, but what about the week before the race? Could I do something better to prepare and feel more ready to race? Even if you feel prepared, you might not be at 100%.”

“For instance, one thing I changed—when I came back last year, I decided to go it alone for a while, to train. I felt I had been doing this job long enough and knew what I needed. It worked somewhat for me. But now, I’ve started working full time with Pyry [Salmela, his trainer].”

“He’s been on the circuit with me since I came back, but I’m using his expertise a bit more. Ultimately, it’s about staying open-minded. Even if something worked well six months ago, it doesn’t mean it will today. So, I’m always looking for ways to make some progress here and there.”

The man with eight F1 victories is indeed convinced, even as his future is questioned, that his performances will be the only element allowing him to continue the adventure: “Yes, I believe so. And that’s what I tell myself. I see no other reasons.”

“The sport is so competitive today. Yes, there’s marketing and other things involved in this sport/business. But at the end of the day, the stopwatch doesn’t lie—and that’s the best way for me to continue longer.”