Ricciardo realistic: 'If I don't become champion, life still goes on'

Daniel Ricciardo is closer to the end of his Formula One career than to the beginning. The 32-year-old driver has been racing in F1 since 2011 and still does not have a title in his pocket. He is not giving up hope yet, but the Australian knows he has to remain realistic.

Last year Ricciardo switched from Renault to McLaren. It wasn't an easy season, but the chance of winning the world championship is still the ultimate motivation for the Australian, who hasn't given up hope yet. With the new regulations in 2022, a lot could change.

Yet he has to be realistic because no matter how high his ambitions are, there is a chance he will never win a title. "If I put all my life’s work into becoming a world champion and I don’t become a world champion, am I going to be depressed the rest of my life? I don’t know, it’s a bit of a risky thing to do", he tells The Race.

In Formula 1, a championship is never guaranteed, as there are several factors involved besides the talents of the driver himself. That is why Ricciardo tries to be realistic. If he does not become world champion, he can still be proud of his achievements in F1. "I tried to just level it out a little bit so that if I do become champion, awesome. But if I don’t, life still goes on."