Ricciardo got too excited: 'Convinced myself I'd be champion that year'

Ricciardo has had a difficult start at McLaren. When he decided to make the switch to the British team in 2021, the driver found it difficult to adapt to the new car. This year too, Ricciardo has yet to beat teammate Lando Norris.

The 32-year-old driver admits that he was a little too excited after his first win in F1 with Red Bull Racing. "I’d kind of convinced myself that I’ll be world champion in the next year, we’ll have a better car", Ricciardo tells the New York Post.

Ricciardo still believes in himself

"I thought, ‘if I can win this race, I’ll win so many more.’ My thoughts got ahead of me. But I think my actions were ok: it’s not like I did stupid stuff and bought myself a yacht [or] started becoming arrogant. But in my mind I probably got too excited for what’s to come." The Australian won two more races in 2014 after Canada, finishing third in the championship. The 2015 season did not prove to be a top year for the team. In 2016, Ricciardo again finished third in the championship, but that was also the last time he finished so high.

The Australian still believes he has the qualities to become a world champion, but the McLaren driver stresses that he separates racing from his personal life. In the past, the lesser results sometimes had a negative impact on his friendships.