Former F1 driver David Coulthard tells Daniel Ricciardo to step away from the sport and rediscover his mojo – as he asks whether Aussie is spending too much time on his wine business
- Daniel Ricciardo has been told to reassess his life choices ahead of his F1 hiatus
- Ricciardo will not be on the grid for 2023 having been axed by McLaren
- The Australian hopes to be back to his best form should he get a seat in 2024
- But David Coulthard says the former Red Bull ace needs to focus on the racing
- Ricciardo has a wine business as well as many high-profile sponsorship deals
- Click here for all your latest international sports news at Daily Mail Australia
Daniel Ricciardo has been advised to step away from Formula One and reassess his life choices as the Australian bids to get back to his best for 2024.
The Australian has confirmed that he will not be competing next year after snubbing offers from teams at the back of the grid, having seen his contract with McLaren terminated earlier this season.
It’s been a campaign to forget for Ricciardo, who has been regularly outperformed by younger teammate Lando Norris, and he is understood to be targeting a reserve-driver position with either Mercedes or Red Bull.
Daniel Ricciardo has been told to shift his focus to F1 when he takes a break from the sport
Taking a backseat would also allow a necessary mental reset having been deeply involved in the sport for 11 years.
But David Coulthard believes he should distance himself altogether and work out what he needs to do to return to the form that initially earnt him a seat at Red Bull.
‘I think he needs to step away, take stock and rediscover whatever it was that was working for him in the first part of his Formula 1 journey,’ Coulthard said via Fox Sports. ‘He’s young enough and fit enough to be able to get back to that place.
‘Success brings a lot of things and it brings baggage. Maybe some of that baggage is really expensive designer baggage, but it still has to be carried. For some people, that slows them down.’
David Coulthard (L) believes the Australian (R) is too distracted by his interests off the track
Ricciardo has earned a number of lucrative sponsorship deals since leaving Red Bull in 2018, while he also launched a wine collaboration with Barossa Valley winery St Hugo, producing and releasing wines under the DR3 label.
He is also understood to own a home in California, having grown an affinity with the United States. Coulthard has claimed that, as a result, Ricciardo’s focus hasn’t completely been on racing.
‘I would — not that he’s asking me! — say, “Right let’s just take it back to where you were. How were you living at that point? What was it that your mind was filled with?”,’ he added.
‘Because maybe he’s become more focused on his wine business or spending time in America or whatever it is. But something has definitely changed that’s not allowing him to release that absolute honey badger performance like we’ve seen in the past.’