Daniel Ricciardo reveals the 'panic thoughts' he had after being axed by McLaren in 2022

Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that he had 'panic thoughts' after being axed by McLaren towards the end of 2022. The Australian driver has now chosen to return to his former team, Red Bull, where he will serve as the third driver behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

The Honey Badger was unable to find success with McLaren in the two seasons he spent there, seeing Lando Norris outperform him on nearly every occasion. As a result, the Woking-based team decided to go with F2 champion Oscar Piastri for the upcoming season in place of Ricciardo.

Ricciardo admitted that he had some panicked thoughts after the news of his axing was revealed to him, but managed to avoid a prolonged 'frenzied' state.

Speaking at the launch of the RB19 in New York City, Daniel Ricciardo said:

“It’s kind of all these panic thoughts. It’s something that, I guess like anything, if you’re not fully prepared for it, then it’s only if it catches you a little bit off guard and are a bit surprised. I wouldn’t say I went into a frenzy, but [maybe] into a bit of a frenzy."

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McLaren puzzled by Daniel Ricciardo's failure

McLaren boss Zak Brown claimed he was puzzled by Daniel Ricciardo's lack of success with them in 2021 and 2022. The Australian ended his stint with the English team a year earlier than initially agreed.

Brown is unsure why Ricciardo was unable to find success with his team, expressing his confusion in an interview with Speedcafe.

Brown said:

"We've certainly analyzed it. We gave it everything we've got. Daniel gave it everything he's got and our relationship with Daniel was great. It was clearly disappointing for both of us as to the outcome, but I think it's a bit of a great mystery as to why."

Ricciardo could benefit from a break from the grid in 2023 as he will have time to reflect on his career moving forward. He claimed that watching the grid take off in Bahrain next year could influence if he wants to return to the grid in a full-time capacity the following year.

If he wants to make his return in 2024, realizing that early on in 2023 might be extremely beneficial from a planning perspective.

It will be interesting to see how McLaren deals with the 2023 season with their new hotshot Oscar Piastri. With the new season coming up in less than two months, it will be interesting to see how the Woking-based team fares.