Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that he is happy that no big team tried to sign him after he announced his departure from McLaren. The Australian driver had initially decided to take a sabbatical before he eventually signed with Red Bull as their reserve driver. In an episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast, Ricciardo explained that his decision to take a break from racing was not influenced by any phone calls from other teams. “It wasn’t about what phone call I was receiving, it was about me acknowledging that I just ultimately don’t want to be competing next year,” he said.
Ricciardo went on to explain why he is glad that none of the big teams came calling. “So, in a way, I am glad a top team didn’t reach out because it’s one of those ones where you probably feel, ‘Oh, I’ve got to sign it,'” he said. He added that he needed a break from racing and acknowledged that he was experiencing burnout. “I kind of feel like the power of a break for me, some time off, I could come back better,” he said.
Ricciardo also addressed the notion that his decision to take a break could harm his career. “I don’t want to say that I’m the only driver that feels this way, but I would say that I’m not the normal sportsman where I kind of just use ‘practice makes perfect,'” he said. “The more I do sometimes, the more I’m getting kind of lost in it.” He concluded by emphasizing that a break can be good for his career, saying, “I kind of feel like, for me, this is going to be a good thing.”
