Ricciardo on injury: 'Didn't let all the hard work get in the way'

Daniel Ricciardo had an eventful 2023. After his exit from McLaren after the 2022 season, the Australian joined Red Bull as a reserve driver before being allowed to replace Nyck de Vries at then AlphaTauri. Speaking to Motorsport.com, Ricciardo spoke about his comeback.

After his contract was dissolved at McLaren, 'the Honeybadger' had a short break from Formula 1. In it, he reflected on his future, including for after retirement. He also says that he thought about quitting racing at emotional moments, but in the end, he knew deep in his heart that that was not actually the case.

Ricciardo returned to Red Bull as a reserve driver. After the Silverstone Grand Prix, disappointing results from De Vries allowed him to drive for AlphaTauri (now known as Visa Cash App RB). His comeback started strongly, but he suffered a setback during the second free practice at Zandvoort: the Australian broke his metacarpal, causing him to miss several races.

Despite the setback, Ricciardo did not give up: "I just tried to think ahead, to the quickest way I can get better and recover again, and I just refused to let the hard work I'd put in the whole year to get back to that place come undone because of an injury."