‘Maybe I was that person for Oscar’: Daniel Ricciardo on F1’s changing of the guard

As he sits in Honda's Melbourne head office ahead of his triumphant return to the Grand Prix paddock, Daniel Ricciardo is in high spirits – particularly when it comes to the state of Australian racing talent today.

"I’m proud to have another Aussie with me on the grid," Mr Ricciardo tells Drive with his signature grin. He is, of course, referring to Oscar Piastri, the 22-year-old Melbourne-born McLaren driver often billed as Ricciardo's successor.

RELATED: Ricciardo. Piastri. Anagnostiadis? The Aussie teen on track to the F1 grid

“It’s great for the health of Australian motorsport," Mr Ricciardo says of Piastri's astronomical rise.

“For me, Mark Webber was the guy I looked up to and gave me the hope that an Aussie can do it. Maybe I was that person for Oscar and then he can be that person for another young up-and-coming kid, hopefully more than one."

Though the competitive nature of F1 often takes priority over individual relationships, Mr Ricciardo has put in time getting to know his young rival and calls him "a good kid".

“I’ve gotten to spend a bit more time with Oscar [in] the past six months as I’ve gotten back on the grid. I think he did a tremendous job last year, obviously [at] Qatar, getting the sprint race win in his first year is phenomenal," he says.

The ‘Honey Badger’, as he’s affectionately known to fans, was released by McLaren at the end of the 2022 season after a two-year stint with the British racing team – during which he only reached the podium once.

The 34-year-old spent the first half of the 2023 season as Red Bull Racing’s reserve driver, marking his return to the team where his success began.

After Nyck de Vries’s exit from the Visa Cash App RB team (formerly AlphaTauri) in the middle of the 2023 F1 calendar – Red Bull tapped the eight-time Grand Prix winner to join its sister team alongside Japanese driver, Yuki Tsunoda.

When asked about his full-time return to the sport after an 18-month whirlwind filled with uncertainty, Mr Ricciardo isn’t shy in expressing his hunger to get back to familiar form.  

“It’s everything I wanted. This time last year, I was fuelling that fire that was in me and I knew it hadn’t fully left yet. I didn’t feel like I was completely done with the sport," he says.

Taking a moment to think about his tumultuous journey since departing Red Bull in 2018, Mr Ricciardo reflects, “I thought I needed a break and that was a really good thing for me. Jumping back into a seat full time and having a full pre-season ahead of me, it’s where I want to be".

Mr Ricciardo’s re-entry to the F1 circuit with Visa Cash App RB has sparked speculation on whether the veteran driver will eventually join the main Red Bull team, which is currently in the middle of a dynastic run.

Coupled with speculation about Sergio Perez’s hazy future as the team's secondary driver – behind generational talent Max Verstappen – it begs the question: is Mr Ricciardo ready for a Red Bull comeback?

“I would love to finish my career there [at Red Bull], [I’m] not saying next year would be the last or anything like that, but it would be a nice way to go full circle," he says.

“Am I looking that far ahead? I’m not. I’m looking here for me now... It’s one weekend and it’s step by step. It’s the best way I can go about it and deliver the results. I’m trying not to get caught up in that long-term way of thinking."

While Mr Ricciardo has his eyes set firmly on Formula One, the thought of another career in a different motorsports category has entered his mind.

"It's something I kind of go back and forth with [but] having this second opportunity now in F1, it's really all I'm thinking about," the Perth-born star tells Drive after pondering the possibility of his number-three badge being attached to a different racing suit.

"But I'll probably continue just being a fan of the other categories for now."