Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that he expects to watch the first race of the 2023 F1 season from a television set, despite his new role with Red Bull, though he does look set to be at the Australian GP.
The Australian, who will be the reserve driver across the 2023 F1 season for Red Bull, is unlikely to attend all of the races but will undergo simulator work, show runs and ambassadorial work for the team.
“I think I’ll be watching the first race from, likely, a television, so I think that will start to maybe warm up a few feelings, and then I’ll be in Melbourne”, Ricciardo explained to select media outlets, including Total-Motorsport.com.
“Being around the whole atmosphere, the noise, the sound, the smell, all of it, that’ll probably do what it does and whether I’m like, stoked and excited and wanting to get back.
“Or whether I’m just kind of happy being a fan for a bit longer, we’ll see.”
Ricciardo remains on standby for Red Bull
In recent years drivers who have returned to the sport after a long period of absence, such as Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, have struggled for race fitness, but Ricciardo is looking to remain in tip-top shape.
Although his chances of returning to the cockpit of a Grand Prix car during the 2023 F1 season depend on whether Red Bull’s current drivers cannot race through illness or a race suspension.
“I feel like the holiday is winding down like I do feel I’ve had close to enough time off; I’m going to go to the Super Bowl next weekend,” said Ricciardo.
“I’ll probably get back into a bit more of a regime and a bit more training and stuff. I’ll see what happens over the course of the next couple of months.
“I need to stay obviously sharp enough that if I do need to jump in spontaneously, then you know I’m not 20 kilos overweight, so I think I’m alright. I’m not too overweight.”
