Daniel Ricciardo's confession about the end of his F1 career: "I had lost that little something."

After 257 Grands Prix, how do you know when it's time to retire? If Daniel Ricciardo Forced to leave in 2024, the Australian reflected on the behind-the-scenes story of a departure he hadn't entirely chosen during an interview. Interview with Ford CEO Jim Farley.

Started in 2011 at HRT then Toro Rosso, the Perth native's career exploded at Red Bull in 2014. But the emergence of Max Verstappen In 2016, the internal hierarchy was shaken up. A nomadic career followed: Renaultthen McLaren in 2021. Despite a memorable victory at Monza, Ricciardo struggled against Lando Norris and must step aside for the first time at the end of 2022.

His return to AlphaTauri in 2023 seemed like a last chance. But the Honey Badger never quite rediscovered his edge. While the Australian initially had no intention of saying goodbye to Formula 1, the Red Bull group decided otherwise in the autumn of 2024, replacing him with New Zealand rookie Liam Lawson.

After fourteen seasons in the top category, the Australian didn't see himself hanging up his gloves, but his team decided otherwise. I was grateful that they made the decision for me. he finally admits. Not so much because I thought I was done, but because I knew it was harder for me to perform at that level. »

Ricciardo, who saw his former rivals as Fernando Alonso Defying the laws of time inevitably leads to a certain form of wear and tear. Alonso, those guys who are in their forties and are in F1At a highly competitive level, I don't know why, but I had lost that little something, and it's good to admit it."

A bad for a good

Far from the media frenzy, the Australian insists on the importance of isolation for making major decisions. You have to put away the fairy tales, put your ego aside as much as possible. People will love you and tell you that you're amazing and that you can do it. But no matter how much you love them, you have to know when to close the door and make a decision for yourself, honestly., he analyzes. You always want to believe that everyone is looking out for you. That's probably true, but they don't know what it's like to be in your shoes. Give yourself enough time alone. You'll find the answer."

Ricciardo therefore went through this process of grieving his sporting career alone. Last year, I gave myself time to reflect and come to terms with this decision. If I had been constantly surrounded by people, I wouldn't have been able to do it. So go for a good old-fashioned hike."

Now an ambassador for Ford, Daniel Ricciardo seems to have found a new balance. While he is no longer one of the twenty fastest men in the world on the track, he rediscovers his racing spirit in the desert dust behind the wheel of his Raptor.

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