Alphatauri F1 News: “I’ll Love Wins and Podiums”: Daniel Ricciardo’s “Hunger” for Racing Intensifies, Sets 2024 Goals

Who would’ve thought after the shocking and career-threatening sacking of Daniel Ricciardo he would be racing again so soon? It only took Ricciardo 10 races in 2023 to return to a racing seat. Despite his hand fracture putting his future in jeopardy once again, AlphaTauri put their trust in the Australian. He earned it as well two races later in Mexico after his 5 race absence. Now, heading into the new season, the fire within the Honey Badger is burning as bright as ever.

It’s no secret it took Ricciardo some time to recover from the harrowing nature of his McLaren tenure. The Australian needed some mental nurturing before he got back to 100% and once he was ready, his first sim was proof the old Ricciardo was truly back. After that, it wasn’t long before he got the nod for the AlphaTauri seat. Now looking to the future after extending his contract for another year, Ricciardo confessed his ambitions for the upcoming season on LinkedIn.

He confessed, “Honestly, it’s just to continue on the path I’m on. I feel so fulfilled and happy racing again. There’s a certain hunger which comes with that. I am definitely after some results, like Mexico 2023, where I can feel I can outdo the car, in a way and that’s something that feels awesome. Yes, I love wins and podiums, but I would say in a nutshell it’s just outdoing the car’s potential. That’ll probably be, professionally, the most satisfying thing.” 

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The hunger is there, and he showcased that he still has the pace, as the talent was always there. Will be consistent enough in 2024 for a promotion to Red Bull? Only time will tell! Regardless, the idea was always the same, with or without the racing time in 2023.

Daniel Ricciardo reveals his outlook toward the future before he got the chance at AlphaTauri

The Australian was not without options after he was informed of his McLaren annulment. He had offers from teams on the grid, but he chose to take a step back and regroup. He aimed to return to the grid in 2024 with a newfound zest and zeal for racing. This was his initial idea. AlphaTauri just accelerated his desire to race again. He was prepared to work hard throughout his time away from the track because, in February 2023, he was already envious of the drivers on the grid.

He revealed, “It was probably February where I was I like, ‘I’m going to the gym today.’ And then that just started brewing. And then we got to Melbourne and that was the first race I attended. Being there, I started getting a little bit of – and I wasn’t ready yet – envy [of the drivers].”

This is exactly why he was gearing up to work tirelessly throughout 2023. “So that was where I was like, ‘I think I know the direction this is steering in, I’m just gonna let it keep,’ and I was like, ‘Man, if I get 12 months of this, I’m gonna be a frickin’ animal come 2024.’”

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Lucky for him, he not only got to spend his 2023 training how he wanted, if not harder, but he also got some race time under his belt. We can surely see the Australian achieving the goals he set for 2024 given that AlphaTauri performs the way it did toward the end of 2023.