F1 | Exclusive, Ricciardo: “Ferrari? I would have said yes. To beat Verstappen you need…”

By Carlo Platella
“Not very well.” This is how Daniel Ricciardo answers the question about how his Italian is, always with a smile on his face. In English, however, the Australian has no problem talking about his challenges with Verstappen from 2016 to 2018, which the number 3 hopes to be able to return to soon, being among the candidates for a seat at Red Bull in 2025. His destiny, however, could have been very different, if only the one with Ferrari in 2020 had gone beyond a simple contact. During the interview given to FormulaPassion Ricciardo does not fail to reflect on this either similarities and differences between the two current title contendersboth of whom he got to know closely during his years at Red Bull and McLaren.

Tell us Daniel, what was the path that brought you back to Formula 1 last year?

“At the end of my time at McLaren I was a bit tired and quite down. I needed a break to reset everything. Then in February I went to the Super Bowl in Arizona as a spectator and watching the players, the atmosphere and the competition in general exhilarated me. The following week I started training again, just for the fun of it. Then I went to the Grand Prix in Melbourne and that feeling intensified. From there it grew more and more. I knew I wanted it, but at the same time I needed some time for myself, to recharge and change a few things before coming back with the right mentality and passion”.

You ended up riding for the same team you rode for a decade ago. How much have you found it changed?

“The culture is the same. You feel the Italianness, the warmth and the feeling of being part of a family. From that point of view it hasn’t changed and it’s a nice feeling. However, I feel the team is more mature. From this year in particular, the perception is no longer that of a junior team, but of an autonomous team that takes more risks. It’s trying to establish itself as a Formula 1 team that has to be taken seriously. The same people, who have been here for a long time, have changed their mentality. The feeling is of a stronger team.”

There is a chance that next year you could have a seat at Red Bull. What does it take to challenge Verstappen? After all, you are the teammate who came closest to beating him…

“It’s not easy, he’s a phenomenal talent. When we were teammates sometimes I beat him and sometimes he was ahead of me, but we always pushed each other. Sometimes, even if he put together a good lap, I found a way to improve myself. I think we pushed each other to a level where we were driving at our best. It was a positive competition for both of us. But first of all you need to focus on yourself rather than your teammate, even if indirectly this helps both of you to grow. At Red Bull I was very comfortable. I had a great relationship with the engineers and every time the car went out on the track I felt confident.”

So you shouldn’t try to imitate what he does…

“No. You can definitely learn, but copying what he does is difficult. He does it at a very high level and it is unlikely that you will be able to replicate it. You can learn, but you still have to have your own strengths.”

You were also teammates with his current title rival, Lando Norris. How are they similar and different?

“Among the similarities I would say the control of the car, even when it slides on the wet. They are very confident drivers. They have excellent perception and great control of the car. I think they are very similar in their risk assessment. Every driver is different. I see differences between them in terms of mentality and approach. Max has a very simple and direct approach, while Lando thinks and processes a bit more. However, in driving they are two very talented drivers, the best”.

What is your approach instead?

“I would say a mix. I try not to overcomplicate things because there’s so much information coming in from all sides. At the same time I try to do what’s necessary to make sure I know what I have and that gives me confidence. But in general I prefer to keep things simple. It’s a complicated sport and driving shouldn’t be that way. It’s easy to get lost in the details. I’ve done that in the past and I don’t want to be in that position.”

When you were racing for McLaren, did you expect that in two years they would be fighting for the championship?

“In such a short time, honestly, no. At the time they had some good races and every now and then Lando would get on the podium, but the way they turned the car around last year changed everything. I didn’t expect it, hats off. Now we’ll see if it lasts two or five years. This is also the challenge, to continue to stay there year after year”.

A few months ago you revealed that you had preliminary conversations with Ferrari to replace Vettel in 2021. Would you seriously consider racing with them?

“Yes, I had some contacts. After my years at Renault I was deciding what to do next. I was interested in both McLaren and Ferrari. The interest was reciprocated, but in the end they chose Sainz. I had seriously considered it though. If they had put a contract in front of me there would have been a good chance I would have said yes. It would have been nice.”