MELBOURNE, Australia — Simply three months in to his first 12 months away from the Formulation One grid, Daniel Ricciardo is already eyeing a return to a race drive subsequent season.

When McLaren determined to exchange Ricciardo with Oscar Piastri on the finish of the 2022 season, the 33-year-old Australian was left with few choices to stay in F1 in 2023.

As a substitute of transferring to a staff towards the again of the grid, he opted to take a 3rd driver function with Pink Bull, which is able to see him attend occasional races, drive this 12 months’s automotive at tyre checks and full simulator work on the staff’s manufacturing facility. It has additionally offered him with extra free time than he has had since he began his F1 profession in 2011.

His first 12 months away from the F1 grid is just three months previous, however he already appears like he desires to pursue a return subsequent 12 months.

“The indicators are pointing in the direction of getting again on the grid,” he advised a small group of reporters at a Pink Bull accomplice occasion with Yeti. “I really feel like that is the place I am monitoring in my head and some of the habits that I am having or doing is pointing in the direction of that.

“It is solely been just a few months [out of F1] however I believe some itches have been scratched, so to talk. I’ve truly weirdly discovered that the times that I’ve had no schedule are the times once I’ve truly completed coaching, and I’ve completed issues like I might earlier than.

“So I do not know, being my very own boss, writing my very own schedule has truly introduced out a variety of the issues in me, once I thought I would simply sit on the sofa and watch films all day and eat junk meals, I am simply not. That is not me.

“So even this stuff have made me realise how a lot I do care about it.”

If Ricciardo does make a return subsequent 12 months, his choices for 2024 already look restricted, with prime groups corresponding to Pink Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin all more likely to follow the driving force line-ups they’ve.

Of the drivers at these groups, the one one with a contract set to run out on the finish of this season is Lewis Hamilton’s at Mercedes, however the seven-time champion has already talked about extending his deal into the long run.

When it grew to become clear Ricciardo would depart McLaren final 12 months, there have been nonetheless accessible seats at smaller groups corresponding to Williams and Haas however he opted in opposition to approaching them a couple of drive.

He says he would nonetheless solely need to return to F1 if it was with a prime staff.

“I nonetheless am at some extent the place it isn’t at any price, it isn’t simply to be again on the grid,” Ricciardo added. “Lots of the rationale for taking this 12 months off was that I did not need to simply leap again right into a automotive, any automotive simply to be one of many F1 drivers. And I nonetheless do not see myself ranging from scratch and rebuilding a profession from floor zero and going at it for one more decade.

“I recognize I may not have each alternative underneath the solar, however I need to win. I need to be again with a with a prime staff and clearly a staff the place I’ve my confidence again and my mojo.

“I believe additionally that is the place, possibly once I look again that is a weak spot of mine, however in a means it is a energy as I really feel higher on the entrance of the grid. I really feel like I carry out in these conditions with a bit extra stress and a bit extra emphasis on a podium.

“So to return and attempt to put myself in simply any seat or one thing that is combating at greatest for a prime ten end, I do not suppose that is going to carry the perfect out of me. So yeah, I see myself, no less than in my head, wanting to return on the grid, however there’s nonetheless some phrases and circumstances, so to talk.”

Ricciardo stated he hasn’t but approached groups a couple of 2024 race drive and can wait till the summer season earlier than his search begins in earnest. He hopes the correct alternative will current itself.

“I am additionally attempting to not have an excessive amount of of a plan. In some unspecified time in the future, I might want to a correct plan nevertheless it’s nonetheless a bit early and I nonetheless need issues to occur sort of organically.

“As I touched on, even with the sim or the coaching I have never stated I will get up on Monday and do a coaching session, it is simply that I’ve woken up and had the urge to do it.

“So I nonetheless need all the pieces to come back from an actual pure place, not a pressured place. And I believe that is going to offer me my clearest reply.

“I am completely satisfied to roll with it most likely until the summer season, or June, July after which see the place I am at, after which possibly sit down with my staff and suppose what are we going to wish to do now to realistically attempt to put me again on the grid.

“However I am actually pleased with how I am going about it for now. So I am not going to do an excessive amount of extra.”