The key considerations Ricciardo must weigh up ahead of a crucial chapter

Optimism is such a valuable aspect of life. We are bombarded with evidence that proves the benefits to health, reduced stress and pathways to a more successful life. Many sports stars have grown up with it, and there was a clever call in late 2020 when Daniel Ricciardo was given the title ‘Chief of Optimism’ by the Australian telecommunications company Optus – to be an inspiration for customers and staff.

Ricciardo often puts a smile on faces around him, and his enthusiasm for the whole world of motorsport is infectious. Team members get a lift from his bounce, fans queue up to get a glimpse of his cheeky grin as he heads for the paddock, and his entertaining podium celebrations when he’s drinking fizz from sweaty race boots have enthralled viewers around the world.

The timing of his optimism role was well placed after a positive season. In his second year at Renault (now Alpine), Ricciardo achieved two podium finishes – including the first for an official Renault entry in over nine years and a run of 11 consecutive races in the points. He also outqualified Esteban Ocon on 15 occasions during the shortened 17-race calendar. No doubt Daniel was swathed in optimism as he prepared to switch to McLaren, the team that beat Renault to third in that year’s constructors’ championship.

Since then, maintaining that positive attitude must have taken a bit more effort. Despite an initial couple of races where he outqualified new team-mate Lando Norris, the rest of 2021 was a struggle for Ricciardo to match the talented young Brit – and although he celebrated victory at Monza, the cheerful Aussie ended up 45 points adrift of Norris’s total.

Thankfully it didn’t seem to knock Ricciardo’s attitude. Speaking to the Australian Financial Review magazine late last year he said: “This is my dream job. I’ve made it so why should I not have a smile on my face? If you like something, I think naturally your emotions come out. So the smile on my face is real. It’s genuine. It’s pretty much as straightforward as that.”

This season started with some similarly tricky times, despite the hope that a car built to all-new regulations might have given him the feel he wanted. Norris still had the better start, and while there have been a few positive aspects, the downturn compared with sunny times at Red Bull – when Ricciardo was winning races and beating Sebastian Vettel – must be ticking away in his mind.

Ricciardo has been outscored 58-15 by Norris in 2022 so far, continuing the trend seen in 2021

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

Ricciardo turned 33 on Friday at Silverstone, during preparation for his 13th grand prix at the venue where he made his F1 debut. He is now the most experienced Australian grand prix driver in terms of races contested, and one of just four to have become a winner. But now is a key time in his career and his thoughts must be buzzing around; reminders of where it all began and prospects of where it might all come to an end.

His contract with McLaren is due to carry him through to the end of 2023 and it seems unlikely that chief executive officer Zak Brown will call for an earlier cut-off, despite all the chat about potential future stars from the US. Yet the realisation that the next 18 months might be the end of his time as an F1 driver must surely be circulating in Ricciardo’s brain.

For all his positive vibes there may come a point when he would rather switch to another aspect of life where his attitude could have a more winning effect than it does in a team that doesn’t work for him

Double world champion Mika Hakkinen was 33 when he decided to step back from his McLaren F1 duties, while Nico Rosberg was only 31 when he shocked many by quitting Formula 1 after winning the 2016 title. Often the drivers with real talent and respect who miss out on titles, such as Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa, continue into their late 30s – and we’ve seen Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso maintain their desire and performance into their 40s.

But will Ricciardo have that motivation if he’s not in a winning team with which he feels fully integrated? For all his positive vibes there may come a point when he would rather switch to another aspect of life where his attitude could have a more winning effect than it does in a team that doesn’t work for him. I’m sure that’s why he’s focused on becoming a public figure for various corporations: a ‘buy now, pay later’ company, another that makes and delivers healthy meals, and a wine producer that creates a range of reds using his initials and race number (DR3). 

It’s another angle to give him focus on life beyond F1, as well as working well with his current driving role. As he told LinkedIn News Australia recently: “I think that’s why a lot of people move around and change jobs; because they want to grow and they want to push themselves that step further… [to] move forward with everything new that you learn.”

These new angles give Ricciardo revised objectives and perhaps a healthier way to look forward in life no matter what happens to his F1 career. There’s only so much you can do in a car and a vast expanse of the F1 world is out of his control. But his personality and the way he connects with people, his comfort in front of a camera and the sheer optimism he can encourage others to adopt, could give him a whole new direction once the F1 door is closed.

Whatever happens next in his F1 career, Ricciardo remains enduringly positive

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images