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Daniel Ricciardo believes he will enjoy his last race in Abu Dhabi despite receiving a three-place grid penalty following his incident in Brazil. The Australian was penalized after clashing with Kevin Magnussen in the Sao Paulo race.
Speaking ahead of the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP, the outgoing McLaren driver said:
“I feel good. Yeah, mentally I’m not treating it like it’s going to be my last ever race, but it could be. Like, I know that nothing’s guaranteed in the future, so I’m just kind of going out to enjoy it. I’m not going to get too, let’s say, emotional about it about the thought that ‘oh, is it the last one’ or not, but I do want to enjoy it and just take it for what it is. I got a grid penalty. I normally go better when I have penalties, so I actually asked for a five-place penalty, but three will do!”
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The former Red Bull driver believes it is not the last F1 race of his career and he is not treating it like one either. Suggesting that he drives better with a grid penalty, Daniel Ricciardo joked that he asked for a five-place grid drop instead of the three-place grid penalty that the stewards penalized him with for the season finale. In Mexico, the Australian drove to a strong seventh-place finish despite penalties and grid drops.
Daniel Ricciardo hints that he will remain in the sport in 2023
While his future remains uncertain when it comes to a full-time drive, Daniel Ricciardo hinted that he will remain in the sport and return to the paddock in 2023. The Australian is being linked with a reserve drive at his former team Red Bull Racing but was not ready to confirm anything officially.
Asked about his future in the sport, the McLaren driver said:
“Yes, but still nothing’s confirmed. So we’ll see. Yeah, hopefully you can see my good looks again next year to some degree.”
According to reports in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull’s senior advisor and talent scout Dr. Helmut Marko has confirmed to Sky Sports Germany that Daniel Ricciardo will be their third driver for 2023. After friction between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez became apparent in Brazil, the Australian will almost certainly feel like an insurance policy for the team if the current driver lineup has any fallout. While their Dutch champion is signed with them until 2028, the Mexican driver does not have a contract beyond 2024.
