Many people envy the lives of Formula One drivers, but there are also many sacrifices to be made. Daniel Ricciardo however doesn't see it as sacrifices, but as choices, he has made.
With a calendar of a whopping 23 races, Formula 1 has set a new record when it comes to the number of races per season. While that is enjoyable for fans of the sport, it also means that drivers and staff of F1 teams have even less time at home.
Daniel Ricciardo has missed many social events during his career that he would have liked to attend, from birthdays to weddings. And during the corona pandemic, he didn't even see his family for 21 months, otherwise, he would have missed Grands Prix due to the country's strict measures.
The Australian knows how to deal with that by not looking at it as sacrifices he has to make for his dream as a Formula One driver. "When you think of it as sacrifices, it feels like it's against your will. In the end, I made the choice to move to Europe myself. I made a choice to chase this life," he says in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
What about choosing McLaren?
In addition to choosing a life as an F1 driver, the Australian has also made some big choices in his career when it comes to teams. For example, in 2019 he decided to leave Red Bull Racing for Renault, switching to McLaren two seasons later.
For the latter team, he managed to secure a victory, but 2021 did not go very smoothly. Ricciardo, therefore, hopes 2022 will not be another difficult season and focuses on possibly a victory or two.