Daniel Ricciardo talks about how McLaren stint was 'a blessing in disguise' for him

Daniel Ricciardo feels that his McLaren stint was a 'blessing in disguise' as it served as a catalyst for him to rediscover his love for the sport.

The Aussie driver endured a pretty rough two seasons with the Woking-based team despite bringing the silverware to the team courtesy of his first-place finish at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. The team decided to cancel his contract a year earlier due to his inconsistent results and deficit to then-teammate Lando Norris.

Speaking with Motorsport.com, Daniel Riccardo pointed out that the cancellation of his contract was an important stepping stone in his time away from the sport. He said:

“Look, as uncomfortable at times the McLaren situation was, it was a blessing in disguise. Let's say they canceled my contract because I needed to step away to kind of re-find myself, re-find my love, and get the hunger back as well.

“I think there were a lot of elements that had just been a little bit hurt or bruised from it all, like my drive and my motivation. So, I just needed to find that again and that time away gave that to me.”

Daniel Ricciardo reflects on how his break from F1 gave him a new perspective

Ricciardo stated that the challenges he faced at McLaren and the time away from the racing post gave him a fresh perspective. The Vcarb driver said:

“When you go through something, obviously it can change you a little bit and give you maybe a different perspective, or make you appreciate the good times more or understand how to handle the low. Or when you are down, maybe then you realize what's important to you and what isn't."

He continued:

“So, just through all of that stuff, I think you learn a lot about yourself. And I think coming out of it, I realized that I still really love this, I still do believe in myself. I don't want to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders because it should still be fun. I'm going to try to be the best version of myself,"

Daniel Ricciardo showed some glimpses of his old self in his brief stint with the formerly-known AlphaTauri in the second half of the season as he finished P7 at the Mexican Grand Prix after starting the race from P4. He will hope to recreate these performances in the 2024 season.