Daniel Ricciardo mulls F1 return: “Not foaming at the mouth yet”
McLaren ditched Ricciardo from their 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:F1 2023 driver line-up and he has penned a deal as Red Bull’s third driver, as back-up to 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sergio Perez, but his long-term future is uncertain.
As Red Bull launched their RB19, Rﷺicciardo said: “I’m keen to have a crack just to stay race-fit, so the body doesn’t go into shock when it hits 5Gs!
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“If there was a test tomorrow, I’m sti🐷ll good. But I’m happy to have more time off.
“As the year progresses I will put my hand up.
“But I’m not foa𝔍ming at the mouไth yet. I’m happy to ease into 2023.”
Ricciardo confirm🌜ed that the bulk of his work for Red Bull will be on the simulator, and will include show-runs and possibly tyre tests. He is unlikely to feature in any Practice sessions.
Is he anticipating🍬 a return to the F1 grid full-time in 2024?
“I’m still taking a day-by-day approach,” he said. “I’m not putti⛄ng too much stress on, by March 1, knowing how I feel.
“I want it to happen naturally.
“Being at the launc𒀰h does excite me, it’s a cool feeling. But I’m happy to be taking the year that I am taking.
“I feel like a holiday is winding down, I’ve had close to enough time off, I’m going to the Supe🐻r Bowl next weekend t♌hen I’ll get back into a regime of training.
“I’ll see what happens over the next c☂ouple of months. I need to stay ꦜsharp enough that, if I need to jump in spontaneously, I’m not 20kg overweight!
“I’ll be watching the first race on television. Thatꦺ will💮 start to warm up a few feelings.
“Melbourne꧃ is😼 the first race I will attend - the atmosphere, noise, smell will do whatever it does.
🍰“Stoked, excited, wanting to get back? Or just a fan? Melbourne will tell me a lot.”
Ri♐cciardo has previously expressed an interest in racing at the Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia, and although he will miss it this year, his Red Bull contract does permit some non-F1 racing this year.
“There would be flexibility, and if Red Bull𝓰 were involved, it’s win-win,” he said. “But, right now, I want mental time off.
“Competition is awesome but it’s a lot. If I step into something else, there would be a le🎐vel of expectation. This year is a chance to take a light-hearted approach and to ease off.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering ever🎶ything from American sports, to football, to F1.
