Ricciardo: Now racing is my main priority

Despite the accident and the broken arm, Daniel Ricciardo is happy with how this season went…

Daniel Ricciardo: “I didn’t think this year would go the way I would race. I am very happy to be back in Formula 1 and racing again.

I think this is the first low season where I didn’t want to go on vacation. I wanted to continue, although the thought of taking a short break and preparing for next year is also quite nice.

I have reduced my non-racing activities. Of course I have other interests, but I have kept them to a minimum. Right now racing is my main priority. Taking into account the calendar and busy schedule, I tried to spend all my free time in the gym.

In life it is important to do what you love. But if you have done this all your life and been ahead, everything is great, but when difficulties arise, confidence decreases. You start asking yourself questions, you start to doubt whether you still love this sport. And your preparation also starts to suffer: you lack motivation.

During the break after saying goodbye to McLaren I realized how much I love this sport, how much I miss it. New perspectives quickly emerged and I can’t believe how much I enjoyed the second half of the season. These six months have changed everything.

Despite the accident and the broken arm, I rate the season positively. The fact that I didn’t see this breakup as a problem says a lot. Some said, “Maybe Daniel should just give up, maybe this is a sign he needs to retire.” But I never thought about it that way. If anything, it became even more motivation to try and kick some ass.”