Daniel Ricciardo, who will be switching to Renault from Red Bull in 2019, shared how he transformed himself personally after “a low” Formula 1 season in 2015. He revealed multiple factors for his low performance including the death of Jules Bianchi, who died in a crash.
Ricciardo opened up about his experiences at Red Bull Formula 1 teams. He spoke about his significant memories at the team’s platform. He spoke at a special farewell podcast to his last time and shared about what transformed him at Red Bull.
“A lot happened in 2015, more on a personal level, with life,” said Ricciardo.
His first season with Red Bull projected his performance and attitude at track. He was able to oust his team mate Sebastian Vettel, four times world champion who fetched his last title in 2013.
Ricciardo was able to fetch three grand prix’s titles from Vettel, but he faced a tougher track in his second year. Daniil Kvyat, who replaced Vettel in 2015 on the team, was able to mark his presence with more points than Ricciardo.
The Australian driver was able to find a place on podium in two races. The first performance that he was able to find was after the killing accident of Bianchi at Japenese GP.
Ricciardo said, “Jules’ passing affected me more than I ever would have thought and I had a few other things going on in my life at that time that in a way shaped me into this next version of who I am.
“The first race back was Budapest and that was my first podium that year, a double podium for the team, and I remember the whole weekend was very emotional.
“To get a podium there felt massive, it was a huge relief and a moment of gratitude.
“That was really important. In 2015, that was a really big high to come off such a low.”
Ricciardo pushed for victories next year onward and 2015 remained the only year at Red Bull without a win.
He fetched seven wins and 29 podiums for the Red Bull. However, 2018 season was a little bitter for him because of reliability hit.
Moreover, he said there were off-track distractions this year, which will help him grow stronger.
“I thought 2015 was challenging, on and off-track, but this year the on-track stuff’s been more challenging than ever,” said Ricciardo.
“Also just other things, a lot of people have been trying to help, [I’ve been] just trying to figure out who is really trying to help and who is not.
“There’s just been a lot of other stuff.
“I know in the long-term, and my good friends around me tell me this, it’s all part of the story and it’s going to shape a beautiful ending one day.
“It sucks for the time being, but I believe that.”
