“It’s something I lean on in trying times” - Daniel Ricciardo reflects on the lowest point of his 2023 F1 season 

Daniel Ricciardo believes the Belgium GP accident at the Zandvoort circuit, where he injured his hand was the lowest point of his 2023 season. Speaking in an Optus interview on his LinkedIn profile, the Australian reflected on his journey back to positivity despite the setback.

Refusing to call the accident a setback, Daniel Ricciardo believes that the accident where he injured the metacarpal bone in his left hand was part of his comeback. The 34-year-old underwent surgery and had to miss four races until he returned to Austin for the US Grand Prix.

Reflecting on the incident, he felt it was a low point in the season but a positive and optimistic approach helped him get through the period. The Visa Cashapp RB driver returned to the circuit after the injury only to retain his spot on the Red Bull junior team for the 2024 season.

Reflecting on the low points of the 2023 season, Daniel Ricciardo said:

“I think the lowest point was yeah like Zandvoort, you know in Holland where I had the accident. In a way yeah, it was a setback, but I refuse to call it a setback. You know I was just, this is just all a part of the comeback. I think with the hand injury, I went back to like perspective. You know its something I tend to lean on a lot in trying times. You know I certainly go for the glass half full approach. Then I was like, Ok.”

“Even like ok, it’s my left hand, not my right, so I can still write, I can still do most things. It’s a hand, it’s not a foot, I can still walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night. You know I don’t need to be a hop and I don’t need to be taken there. And yeah, it hurts. But I can still train, I can sit on a bike, you know I can still do some things that allow me to not completely drift off the path. All these little things which got me through it and made it feel less bad than it was you know. So yeah simple things like that I think helped get me through.”

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Daniel Ricciardo reflects on Mexico being the highest point of his 2023 season

Having driven only eight races, Daniel Ricciardo believes his performance in the 2023 season was the high-point of the season.

Upon joining the AlphaTauri team at the Hungarian GP, the Australian was getting his confidence back until his injury in Zandvoort interrupted the process of his comeback. However, in Mexico, the Australian took everyone by surprise displaying a hint of his old self by qualifying fourth on the grid and finishing seventh in the race.

He believes it reinstilled confidence in his believers and simultaneously silenced his doubters. A highlight of the Mexico weekend was his qualifying performance and the gap to former teammate Max Verstappen.

Speaking on his LinkedIn profile in an Optus interview, Daniel Ricciardo said:

“Highest point of the season was Mexico. Mexico was the place I got my last every pole position. So there’s always like, something kind of cool for me of Mexico as well. Yeah, I just felt like a man on a mission and it was a really cool weekend for me personally to prove that I can still do it. But also for the team Red Bull, you know for sure there’s still some doubters, and for the people that have believed in me and supported me, that was really nice to yeah, just kind of confirm what they believed in me.”

The Mexican GP performance definitely proved that Daniel Ricciardo had bounced back from his setbacks at McLaren. However, it also propelled his team to eighth place on the grid. Reinstating faith in his employers and backers, it was enough proof that he was capable of doing better in the future.

With his eyes set on his former seat at Red Bull Racing for 2025, the 2024 season will be a litmus test to determine whether Ricciardo can still be competitive against his former teammate Verstappen or other top drivers on the grid. With a revamped team at Visa Cashapp RB, the Australian is set to start a new chapter on a positive note.