“I’ll be sad this weekend not being on track”: Daniel Ricciardo hoping to enjoy the F1 Monaco GP as a ‘spectator’

For the first time since 2011, Daniel Ricciardo will not compete in the Monaco Grand Prix, an event in which he has experienced both victory and disappointment.

Daniel Ricciardo controlled the 2016 weekend before a botched pitstop cost him the win, but in 2018, his Red Bull overcame a technical glitch to beat Sebastian Vettel to the win, completing his redemption in Monaco.

He, along with team boss Christian Horner and AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda, took part in a short Q&A session between sessions. On watching Monaco GP as a spectator, he said:

“I think Monaco will feel pretty different as well this one is so special. I’ve always really had a love for this. So maybe I’ll be sad this weekend not being on track. But it’s also one that I always said when I retire one day, it’d be nice to enjoy it. I don’t consider myself retired, but at least maybe this one, I can enjoy just being a spectator.”

After a difficult two seasons, Daniel Ricciardo feels he is ready to return to the Formula One grid in 2024. Ricciardo, who left McLaren at the conclusion of 2022, rejoined Red Bull for 2023, serving as a reserve driver for the Australian and Miami Grand Prix.

Ricciardo is in town this weekend as part of his duty as a brand ambassador as well as a reserve driver.

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Max Verstappen is happy to be reunited with Daniel Ricciardo

For three years, Max Verstappen and Ricciardo were best friends and teammates at Red Bull Racing, until Ricciardo departed the Austrian racing team to pursue a new adventure. Four years later, the Australian has rejoined his former squad as the third driver. Verstappen sees it as a positive development for both the team and Ricciardo.

"We've spent quite a few years together. But not only in the team but also when he was at other teams. And he's a great guy. He's a lot of fun. We can definitely laugh a lot," Verstappen said during the media briefing.

Verstappen believes Ricciardo has lost some confidence in the vehicle in recent years, but when he returns to Red Bull, he sees the typical smile on his close friend's face.