“In this sport, nothing is guaranteed” – Daniel Ricciardo on his chances of winning the world championship

Daniel Ricciardo has opened up about the possibility of him retiring from F1 without becoming a world champion. The Aussie feels that while it would be “awesome” to achieve the world championship – a goal he has worked hard for all this life – life would still go on, even if he didn’t.

Speaking in a post-season interview with The Race, the “Honey Badger”, as Ricciardo is referred to, said:

“In this sport, when there are so many other variables in it, nothing’s guaranteed. 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. Life will still go on. At the end of the day, it’s a trophy, and it’s your name in the history books forever – but you’re still going to go to bed that night, you’re still going to wake up the next day.”

Ricciardo felt that he has learned to approach the possibility of him not having a title to his name with “maturity”. He also wonders whether he would feel any different if he did win the title. Having raced in F1 for over a decade now with some of the best teams on the grid, the Australian feels he has been more fortunate than most.

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Daniel Ricciardo hoping to challenge Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton for the title with McLaren in 2022

Daniel Ricciardo misses being at the front of the grid, battling for wins and podiums. The Australian hopes for a return to the sharp end of the action in 2022 with McLaren as F1 prepares for an overhaul of technical regulations.

Speaking in a post-season interview with The Race, the former Red Bull driver admitted that he felt “a bit of jealousy” over former teammate Max Verstappen. The previous season, Verstappen challenged Lewis Hamilton to clinch his maiden F1 world title and to become the first non-Mercedes drivers’ champion in over eight years.

During his days at the Austrian outfit, Ricciardo was often thought to be a future world champion in waiting. In his debut season with Red Bull in 2014, he convincingly beat his teammate and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and earned the respect of former world champions Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

Known for his late-braking moves, the Australian was famous for “stealing” victories at the unlikeliest of races. Since his departure from Red Bull at the end of 2018, however, Daniel Ricciardo has mostly been stuck in the midfield battling for positions at the bottom end of the top 10.

The Honey Badger had a disappointing season with McLaren in 2021 when he struggled to adapt his driving style to the tricky MCL35M. He is now hoping that the new regulations reset will allow him to once again battle at the sharp end of the action, potentially threatening his former team and team-mate for the world championship.