Ricciardo suffered hardest year mentally
Daniel Ricciardo believes the 2018 Formula 1 season was his toughest season mentally because he has never had to overcome so many "hurdles" before.

The Australian won two of the first six races but failed to finish on the podium over the next 15 events as poor reliability, chiefly from Red Bull's engine supplier Renault, blighted his campaign.
Ricciardo, who has now left Red Bull and will race for the Renault works team in 2019, told Motorsport.com that it has been the toughest season he has endured mentally.
"I don't want to overplay it like 'Man, I've been struggling'," Ricciardo said. "In the scheme of things I've been handling it well and I wouldn't say that my everyday life has suffered from it.
"But for sure, the racing and the emotions I've felt over the course of a race weekend have been more than I've ever experienced before.
"With the mental side, it's just been about trying to overcome these hurdles and the constant failures and trying to pick myself back up.
"I haven't had to do that so repetitively in a season before."
Ricciardo made the decision to leave Red Bull at the start of the summer break, and had already retired from four of the 11 grands prix completed by that point.
He had also fortunately survived a Renault MGU-K failure to win in Monaco.
Ricciardo suffered three further mechanical-induced non-finishes after the break, while other races were compromised by reliability problems triggering grid penalties.
He said that the emotional element of leaving Red Bull, which has backed him for more than a decade, had not added to the challenge of the season beyond his previous admission that he lost sleep at times this season.
"It was more that time around the decision and the contract talks and all that," said Ricciardo of the impact of his Red Bull departure.
"That took some energy out of me, just going back and forth and trying to figure out what was best for me in terms of my future.
"That took a bit of a toll and I lost some sleep over the course of that period, but once I'd made the decision, I feel like it took some weight off my shoulders and my mind has been clearer.
"I've obviously just had to deal with more on track highs and lows."
Red Bull suffered from suggestions it was deliberately crippling Ricciardo's final half-season with the team once he had decided to leave for Renault.
However, speaking on a farewell Red Bull podcast after the season finished, Ricciardo insisted he never felt like the team's attitude changed towards him.
"I'm happy and comfortable with the situation and the terms I'm leaving the team on," he said.
"I'm not leaving with my head down or any broken relationships or anything like that. I leave proud and I feel like I've given the team my all and had that in return.
"I never felt anything less than that."

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing RB14
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images

Previous article
Why Honda's best F1 hope won't be leaving Japan
Next article
Why 2018 left McLaren with no one else to blame

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Daniel Ricciardo |
Teams | Red Bull Racing |
Author | Scott Mitchell |
Ricciardo suffered hardest year mentally
Trending
Sebastian Vettel explains why Aston Martin
Aston Martin AMR21 Unveiling
Aston Martin is back to F1
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end
The mantra Ocon must follow to challenge Alonso at Alpine
OPINION: It's been an uneasy ride for Esteban Ocon since his F1 comeback - and fresh challenges lie in wait as he's joined by double world champion Fernando Alonso in the newly rebranded Alpine team. STUART CODLING sets out a roadmap to success…