Daniel Ricciardo opens up on Mental Health Awareness week about staying 'connected' to escape loneliness

Daniel Ricciardo recently spoke about his struggles with loneliness in the intense and fast-moving world of F1. The McLaren driver was speaking as part of 2022's Mental Health Awareness Week with several other team members.

The Aussie, who is known to be one of the chirpiest drivers on the grid, opened up about the challenges that come with spending the majority of a year away from home and how he deals with such difficulties. He said:

“Going through the highs and lows of the sport, on top of being away from family, you do dip through moments of feeling lonely. I try to keep positive and use this time to self-evaluate. But I think it’s important to talk to your friends, stay connected with your team and be open.”

Team performance coach and McLaren mental health first aider Serg Stelitano said:

“I try to speak to friends and family as often as possible, or buddy up with someone on the team so there is always someone to talk to. Within our groups it’s ok to talk and it’s important that we continue to normalise speaking about mental health issues.”

Senior principal race engineer and another McLaren mental health first aider, Will Joseph, added, saying:

“We have a culture that revolves around trust and with a fantastic group of people it’s easy to find someone to turn to including a large group of mental health first aiders.”

Daniel Ricciardo has also previously spoken about the importance of promoting a safe environment to openly talk about mental health issues. The 32-year-old, who is now in his second season with McLaren, has also been vocal about receiving "family-style support" from the team.

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"Maybe 18 is a sweeter number" - Daniel Ricciardo claims that 18 races in a season would be ideal

F1 is hosting a record 23-races across the globe this year and several drivers have been vocal about the struggles of a tight calendar as in this season.

As reported by Business Insider, Daniel Ricciardo has been outspoken about the same, saying:

“I think 23 races is okay if there wasn’t so much stuff, you know, before and after the weekend as well. If it was like Friday to Sunday, 23 times a year, that would be okay. But sometimes we’re getting to a race, you know, Tuesday, Wednesday to already start doing some marketing and some events and things... It’s quite a lot with everything else. I would say like the way it is and how it’s structured, maybe 18 is a sweeter number. I mean, I’m not complaining. Like, I’m certainly up for [23 races]. This is just kind of a magic wand.”

Given the logistical struggles of hosting races globally, 23 races are certainly putting a strain on most teams.