"I still thrive off it"- Daniel Ricciardo claims he 'belongs' in F1 amidst uncertain future in McLaren

Speculation surrounding Daniel Ricciardo's future at McLaren and in F1 at large has been rising swiftly. The Australian, however, believes that he still belongs in the sport and can still see success in the future.

Since the eight-time Grand Prix winner joined McLaren last year, he has been on the back foot when it comes to competing with his teammate Lando Norris, who has consistently outperformed Ricciardo. This year, the difference in their level of performance has become even more apparent.

Ricciardo said:

“The truth is, the highs you get are just so high because so much goes into it. Of course, you take risks, like to win a race for example, you haven’t gone for a Sunday drive; you’ve put it all on the line, the team has, you’ve pushed your body, mentally and physically. So then the high and the reward is pretty amazing and pretty spectacular. I could probably keep going, but there are a few things. I believe I still thrive off it because I still believe I belong [in Formula 1] and can do it.”

“That’s what really gets me jacked. And the love of it, as well as knowing that any weekend that could be there, like it could be around the corner, you know. Monza last year, that was… you know, a week before in Zandvoort, no one was predicting that, not even myself, so even just the thought of a weekend like that could be one week away, it’s pretty cool.”

While Daniel Ricciardo has a contract with McLaren until the end of the 2023 season, rumors suggest that 2021 Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri will be replacing his compatriot in the Woking-based team to partner Lando Norris next season.

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Daniel Ricciardo is disappointed and so is the team, says McLaren team principal

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl recently confessed that Daniel Ricciardo is as disappointed with his results as the team. He, however, claimed the team is trying to focus on how to improve rather than dwell on the disappointments.

Speaking to GPFans, Seidl said:

“It is clear that if you look at how the season has gone so far with Daniel, he’s disappointed [and] we are disappointed as well. But in the end, frustration or disappointment doesn’t help you, moving forward. The most important thing is to keep going with a clear ambition to make it work.”

“That’s why we put in a lot of energy within the team in order to see what we can do on the car side for example to help him feel more comfortable with the car, especially when it comes to qualifying when he has to push the car to the absolute limit. Also from his side, he’s absolutely committed and puts in a lot of energy together with the engineers also back home in Woking to find these last percentages which are missing from time to time.”

Daniel Ricciardo currently stands 12th in the drivers' standings with 19 points to his name.