Like many years before, Formula 1 racing driver Daniel Ricciardo appeared before fans and media at Albert Park on Thursday, displaying the same beaming smile and laid-back charisma that earned him the fan-favourite title among F1 enthusiasts.
But this year is not the same for the 33-year-old, who for the first time since 2011, will not be on the starting grid for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
Instead, wearing black jeans and blue Red Bull polo, the eight-time grand prix winner was onstage at Legends Lane to unveil Ford’s new bright blue electric car in front of a gaggle of media, cameras and fans.
Daniel Ricciardo appears onstage on Thursday to unveil a new Ford car, as part of his role with Red Bull. Credit:Getty Images
Ricciardo’s appearance was part of his new duties as a reserve driver with Red Bull, announced in November.
Following a mostly miserable two-year stint with McLaren, which resulted in the early termination of his contract, Ricciardo took on the role as third driver for the 2023 season, aiming to take a year off F1 before returning next season.
While a sabbatical is rare, it is not unprecedented in F1, and at the time his contract termination with McLaren was announced, Ricciardo adamantly and repeatedly expressed his interest to get back on the grid.
Instead of driving, Ricciardo will spend much of the 2023 season engaging with testing and simulator work, as well as commercial activity for the F1 team.
But despite his assertions, questions about whether Ricciardo has the drive or interest to return to the F1 grid after this season have continued to swirl.
And before the journalists congregated around the area were able to ask those questions on Thursday, Ricciardo was swiftly taken off-stage.
During the 15-minute unveiling of the Ford car – involving thunderous music and enthusiastic presenters – Ricciardo made one comment that could hint at his determination to return to the F1 grid: He has been keeping up with his neck training over the pre-season.
Joining Red Bull instead of a lower-ranking team means sitting behind teammates, two-time world champion Max Verstappen and Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez, both of whom are dominating F1.
In an August interview with The Age following the announcement of his McLaren departure Ricciardo said: “This isn’t the end for me, but I can’t control anything that lies ahead at the moment. But in terms of me still having the will to compete at the highest level, that’s absolutely still in me.
“I still want it from a competitive point of view, but I’ve never been a guy who wants to be on the grid just for the sake of being on the grid. There are some drivers like that, but that’s not me.″
Commercial duties: Daniel Ricciardo attends the February launch of the Oracle Red Bull racing season in New York. Credit:Getty Images
In November, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said Ricciardo’s role “will give us the chance to diversify, assisting in the development of the car, aiding the team with his experience and knowledge of what it takes to succeed in F1”.
David Coulthard, Red Bull Racing’s first driver for its inaugural season in 2005 and a winner of 13 grands prix, said Ricciardo needs to go back to basics to discover if the fire still burns – and if his halcyon days can be more than a memory growing smaller in the rearview mirror.
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