Daniel Ricciardo’s post-AGP celebration – one single drink

On the evening after scoring a season-best sixth place in his home race, held for the first time since 2019, Aussie McLaren star and carsales ambassador Daniel Ricciardo did the exact opposite of a lot of the huge crowds in town for yesterday’s record-breaking 2022 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

“I had one alcoholic ginger beer – I was exhausted after the week,” Daniel told an exclusive event at carsales’ Melbourne headquarters this morning. “Even if I’d had more it would have been a quiet one!”

Cancelled at the 11th hour, the 2020 AGP marked the start of the world’s descent into COVID-19, and Dan said returning home to race for the first time in three years was emotional.

“It was a little emotional coming back,” he said. “It’s like you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

“Even other drivers were saying to me ‘I don’t know what’s going on in Australia this year, but it feels massive this time around.’”

With an all-time attendance record for a sporting event in Melbourne of almost 420,000 people over three days – and many wearing the papaya orange of his McLaren Racing team – Dan recalled the moment he was sitting in his car awaiting the start of practice on Friday.

“I could see the big screen at the end of the straight for FP1 and I could hear the roar – and that was very cool,” he said.

Sixth place in the third race of the 2022 championship was a strong result for a team still getting to grips with its new-generation car – and for an eight-times GP winner who had a terrible month before the Australian GP.

After a coronavirus infection that sidelined him from pre-season testing, our man Dan finished just 14th place in Bahrain and suffered a mechanical failure in Saudi Arabia, leaving him second-last in the drivers’ championship – his worst start to a season he started in F1 in 2011.

A late challenge on his younger teammate, Englishman Lando Norris, could have netted the West Aussie a top-five finish at Albert Park, but Dan said he was happy to support the team and finish in formation.

“A sixth is like a win!” he laughed.

“We were matching each other [during the race], but at three-quarter distance he pulled away which showed he had pace,” he said.

“I caught him with two laps to go and the team said he was managing an issue with his car – the team was like ‘unless he is super-slow, don’t pass him’.

“If I’d overtaken him at the end and caused tension, it wouldn’t have been worth it. We’re in a great spot compared to Bahrain and he was ahead the whole race.

“It’s about managing everything as a team. Obviously fifth would have been better for the crowd!”

After a tough 2020, Daniel disclosed that a break from F1 and a mental reset has better prepared him for 2021.

“There was a lot to dissect last year,” he revealed. “There was probably a bit of overthinking as well. It was holding me back for sure and it was hard to deal with.

“The win [at Monza] was great. I had been kicking my own arse all year so that was good to achieve that.”

Dan said a complete decompress in the off-season helped him to turn the corner.

“Three weeks away from F1 was good for me; I was too deep into it,” he admitted.

“Paralysis from over-analysis, basically. The car suits me a bit better this year, and I’m getting back to where I’m driving on my instincts.”

And will Dan Ricciardo race at Bathurst? The answer is surprisingly positive.

“By the time I’m done with F1, endurance [racing] would be great, and a bit better to ease into,” he said.

“I don’t think I’d be competitive in a Supercar, but the 12-Hour at Bathurst would be great. Nothing in place, no plans, but it’s a bit of a desire for sure.”

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