“I am craving to take my shoe off, for sure. It's been a while," joked Ricciardo, who celebrates podiums by pulling off a sweaty racing shoe, pouring Champagne into it and taking a hearty gulp.
“I am optimistic. I feel like this year there's a bit more stability in the structure,” he said at
Ricciardo has not been on the podium since winning the Monaco Grand Prix with his former team
As he prepares for his 10th season in F1, the 30-year-old Australian driver is hoping that team-bonding activities can help drag the French manufacturer back into contention. His first chance comes at his home race, the season-opening Australian GP in
“Personally I put responsibility on myself to get results and to have a presence in the team, immediately,” Ricciardo said. “If everyone has their head down, I also feel some responsibility to bring it up. Last year I learned a lot, ways we can be better as a unit.”
In his first season with
Ricciardo's decision to leave
At
“We have some ideas in mind to integrate the team, not just on race weekends. Find ways away from the track to become more close as a unit,” he said. “Because you know the person a little bit more, and you've been something else with them away from the track, it's a way to have each other's back and support each other more.”
The “non-F1 tasks” are designed to push team members through a certain degree of physical exertion, and pull them closer together.
“Some outdoor activities, we're going to make a few people sweat as well,” he said. “Get them out of their limits and get them to re-insert some self-belief in themselves, get them to do something maybe they didn't think they do. It will help I'm sure.”
The 23-year-old Ocon also returns with a point to prove after not getting a seat last year, despite being highly rated.
Ocon's ambition could in turn sharpen up Ricciardo's driving.
“He's young, he's missed out a year and that hunger's going to be there,” Ricciardo said of his new teammate. “It's another person to gauge yourself (against), learn from. I think it's a good dynamic.”
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