Daniel Ricciardo Reveals Important Advice From Sir Jackie Stewart

Former VCARB Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo shared a key piece of advice he received from F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart when he joined Red Bull in 2014. At the time, Ricciardo had no idea just how valuable Stewart’s words would become as his F1 career began winding down in just a few years.

Ricciardo entered the recent Singapore Grand Prix weekend aware that it would likely be his final race with the team. Although VCARB had yet to officially announce his exit, speculation was rife. His stunning fastest time in the last lap, coupled with emotional post-race interviews, all but confirmed the secret of his impending departure.

After a brief but disappointing tenure with McLaren, Ricciardo found himself on the sidelines for almost a year before rejoining VCARB (formerly AlphaTauri) during the 2023 season. However, his comeback was cut short by a wrist injury sustained at the Dutch Grand Prix, forcing him to miss five races. This limited his opportunity to showcase his performance, leaving both him and Red Bull with little to evaluate.

The 35-year-old hoped to advance to the senior team alongside Max Verstappen, but he had the task of mentoring his less experienced teammate Yuki Tsunoda and lifting VCARB’s position in the Championship. However, the 2024 season saw the opposite, as he struggled to finish races within the points.

Tsunoda outperformed him on 12 of the 16 rounds, which raised questions about his place in a team that was meant to be a platform for rookies to elevate themselves to Red Bull in the premier class. Eventually, though, the team decided to part ways with him by announcing the decision after the Marina Bay race. Replacing him will be Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson from the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin.

With several ups and downs in his career, which reached its peak in 2014, the eight-time Grand Prix winner revealed the crucial advice from Sir Jackie Stewart. Speaking to Sky Sports after the Singapore Grand Prix, as reported by Formula 1, he said:

“I remember actually it was here in 2014 – that was my breakthrough year, and Sir Jackie Stewart called me in the lobby and I remember he said something to me.
“He goes, ‘Look, if you ever want to talk, let me know because it won’t always be as easy as it seems.’

“He was kind of just preparing me for the lows – I was on such a high. Yeah, I didn’t win the championship that year, but everything just felt easy – I’m exaggerating, obviously not easy. “So when he told me, I was like, ‘I’m good, what are you talking about? I’m not struggling, I’m not intimidated by anyone, what is this?’”

Ricciardo, however, realized the significance of his words the following year in 2015, when he failed to secure a victory throughout the entire season. He added: “Even the following year, 2015, was a tough year, and I immediately realised what he was talking about.

“I think [the best approach is to] never get too high, try not to get too low and just try to ride the wave. Yeah, just keep your feet on the ground.”