“I’m the man,” Daniel Ricciardo confesses he became ‘cocky’ after winning races for Red Bull in F1
Daniel Ricciardo accepted that he became cocky during his time at Red Bull after achieving decent success in Formula 1.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen (via racefans.net)
Daniel Ricciardo‘s Formula 1 career is finally over. The Australian driver will not be coming back to the pinnacle of motorsport after being sacked by RB. Now, the Honey Badger has recalled the time when he was getting overconfident with success in the sport.
By the 2015 US GP, Ricciardo had established himself as one of the best drivers on the grid. Many considered that the Australian was a future world champion. The 34-year-old admitted that he had a boosted ego during that period and considered himself to be ‘the man’ after winning races in F1.
Yeah, 2015. It was actually in Austin… it was probably when I just started to like, make a bit of a name for myself in the sport and won a few races… you’re like, ‘Alright, I’m really kicking it right now. I’m the man’.
Daniel Ricciardo said on Red Flags Podcast
Moreover, Daniel Ricciardo confessed that he perhaps got a bit ahead of himself with this mindset during that time. So much so, that the Honey Badger accepted being ‘cocky’ due to his performances for Red Bull. Afterall, the Australian had outperformed four-time champion Sebastian Vettel the preceding year.
And yeah, I remember I was like, probably just getting a little weird, in terms of just getting like ahead of myself and probably a bit cocky, maybe.
Daniel Ricciardo added
Daniel Ricciardo’s close friend warned him over cocky behavior
The former Red Bull driver recalled that his close friend recognized a change in his behavior during this period. Ricciardo was told that it had perhaps even started affecting others. Daniel Ricciardo admitted that it was a heavy blow, but it was necessary for him to turn things around and get back to his true self.
And someone close to me at the time, I remember they’re like… ‘make sure this doesn’t take over and you start affecting people around you. But it’s affected me a bit’… It was like, yeah, it was quite heavy.
Daniel Ricciardo explained
Certainly, the Australian driver learnt from his friend’s advice and tried to get rid of his overconfidence. Daniel Ricciardo further proved himself as a fan-favorite as he always had a smile on his face. Fans will dearly miss the Honey Badger’s presence from the F1 paddock for the time to come.
Armaan Agarwal
(2040 Articles Published)