‘I want to remind people that I’m still here’ - Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull goals for F1 2023

Daniel Ricciardo says he wants to “remind people that I’m still here” as he looks to contribute to Red Bull’s F1 success from the sidelines as their third driver.

After being dropped by McLaren for F1 2023, Ricciardo opted to rejoin Red Bull – the team he left at the end of 2018 – as their third driver.

Ricciardo will attend a number of races, while his role will be mainly focused on simulator work and marketing events.

After two difficult years with McLaren, Ricciardo wanted a year out to re-assess whether he still wants to be in F1.

In a post he shared on Linkedin, Ricciardo shared his goals and aims for this year at Red Bull.

“From a professional point of view, this year is really about being a team player at Red Bull. I’m back in an environment and ultimately a family that I have a lot of good memories with and it feels really good to be back there,” Ricciardo wrote.

“But it’s not about me this year, it’s about the wider team and trying to contribute and help them where I can.

“Jumping into the simulator, learning their car and helping shape the development are all things I’m focused on doing. In turn that will develop my abilities, my confidence and my enjoyment behind the wheel.

“It’s been a tough couple of years professionally, so there’s an element of that competitor in me wanting to remind people that I’m still here, still a professional and still contributing to success.”

Ricciardo also explained his “personal goals” revealing that he wants to improve his skills on two-wheels.

“People might think I’m joking here but I really want to get better and better on my 110! I’ve always enjoyed motorbikes but never really been able to ride much because the luxury of time hasn’t been there,” he added.

“But I love learning new skills and I think that drive for excellence that I’m used to will carry over into this hobby too.

“I promise you this is the most fun you can have on two wheels. Riding with friends, jumping things and being out in nature. I’m getting excited just thinking about it.”