Ricciardo ‘in pain’ and cuts ‘sad figure’ at Australian GP

The eight-time grand prix winner lost his place on the F1 grid this year after agreeing to part company with McLaren following two frustrating seasons.

• Ricciardo reveals F1 comeback plan: “Movies and junk food? That’s just not me” 

But Ricciardo is back in the F1 paddock at his home race in Melbourne this weekend as he makes his first official appearance in his new role as Red Bull’s reserve driver. 

Speaking on his ‘Ted’s Notebook’ show after qualifying, Sky Sports pitlane reporter Kravitz suggested Ricciardo is “starting to feel the pain of not being an F1 driver”. 

“The first race Danny Ric has been at and he’s cut a bit of a sad figure I want to say,” Kravitz said. 

"He's been on the pit wall, the Red Bull pit wall and I think he's starting to feel the pain of not being a Formula 1 driver. The first race he has been to as not a Formula 1 driver for a long time. And I get a sense he is starting to feel it a little bit.

"I saw Danny Ric on the Red Bull pit wall watching the sessions and he looked to be in pain, he looked to be hating it. 

“I thought ‘you don’t want to be there Danny Ric. You don’t want to be watching everybody going around doing what you used to love or still love doing.

"It's not a good place, don’t do it, don’t be on the pit wall’. I think it’s much better for Danny Ric to be in with the engineers where he has been all the other times.”

Having bumped into Ricciardo in the paddock during the show, Kravitz told the 33-year-old Australian: “Just a tip, I’m not sure you look good on that pit wall.” 

To which, Ricciardo replied: “I look good in these colours though. I can do it for a year, it's all good. It's not forever.”

Ricciardo’s options of sealing a competitive seat for 2024 appear limited, but Haas boss Guenther Steiner has left the door open to welcoming the Australian back into F1 on a full-time basis. 

"It's a bit early to speak about a driver change already for next year so let's see what we are doing with these drivers,” Steiner said on Friday.

“For sure, at some point, maybe I'll speak with him, but I cannot promise anything because if our two guys do a good job, I think [that's] where I stand with it."