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Ricciardo reflects on emotional year in formula one

Emotional Ricciardo attempts to ignore speculation: 'See what happens'

19 September at 13:57

Daniel Ricciardo has had a difficult two seasons since he was replaced by Oscar Piastri at McLaren. In 2023, he was left without a seat until he replaced Nyck de Vries at the then AlphaTauri. This season, he has been subject to much speculation over whether he would replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull, or if Liam Lawson could leave him without a seat at Visa Cash App RB. In Singapore, the Australian reflected on the recent events. 

Speaking in the paddock in Singapore, Ricciardo reflected on the emotional year he has experience, after being at the forefront of much speculation. "I think as early as Japan or Miami, there was talk of ‘Okay, am I even gonna rock up to the next race?’ I didn't hear that from the team, but obviously there was noise about that. So you hear that one week, and then I put two good races together and Checo doesn’t, and then I'm like, ‘Oh, am I going to be in the Red Bull in the summer break?’ " he explained. 

Is Ricciardo concerned about his future in Formula 1

Amongst the turmoil, Visa Cash App RB is one of the only two Formula 1 teams yet to confirm their line up for 2025. Although Yuki Tsunoda is confirmed to have a seat, the question remains as to whether Ricciardo can hold onto his, or if he will be replaced. Nevertheless, the Australian has found a way to deal with the pressure. "I think the main thing is try not to get too high, try not to get too low. At the end of the day, just focus on myself. And I think that's where I probably learned as well from the past, just not to get bogged down in too much other stuff, because that will always be there. It will always exist, but control the controllables. And that's me, and putting my best foot forward, and also making sure that I'm loving what I'm doing,"

"So as much as the year has had some highs and lows, and even now standing here today, there's obviously a lot of pressure and speculation. I still am happy to be here. I still can't wait to get in the car tomorrow. I can't wait to sweat my tits off. We'll see what happens," he concluded.