Ricciardo: "You want to be the guy who gets patted on the back by everyone"

18 September 2021 at 16:35

Last update 18 September 2021 at 19:45

GPblog.com

Daniel Ricciardo enjoyed his victory in Italy last week. The Australian took advantage of the crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton and could thus drive to the finish relatively unthreatened. For McLaren it even meant a one-two punch, as Lando Norris finished second. Ricciardo still can't get over it.

Asked if this was his most emotional victory ever, he replied on his employer's official website. "It was on a par with the high of Monaco 2018. I thought that win would never be matched because of the whole redemption thing after what had happened to me there two years earlier. But what I felt in Monza was as high as that." Because of a huge blunder by Red Bull, Ricciardo missed out on a certain victory at the time.

Ricciardo out of this world

It wasn't just Ricciardo who felt the rush, but also those around him. "And I felt that high personally, but I also felt it with the people around me: everyone was just floating. I remember doing interviews and I was… I wasn't really there at the time in some of them. It was wild," he Admitted a week later. The victory in Italy marked his eighth win in Formula 1.

For McLaren, it was also a relief to get another win. "It feels awesome to end the drought for the team, especially after the year I've had. And, obviously, I'm glad I was the guy to get the win. That's just the competitor in me. You want to be the guy that everyone's patting on the back and it certainly hadn't been me for the majority of this year. So, to then just tick that big box, that felt really nice."

Joy at McLaren

Ricciardo got to climb the top step of the podium, Norris finished a handsome P2. He has nice words for the number four in the WC. "When I look back at it though, the win was insane but just as insane was the one-two; seeing Lando there, knowing that the whole team is going to be stoked. It's not like one car won and the other car crashed, leaving the team with mixed emotions.I knew everyone was just gonna be freakin' pumped.Obviously, I knew Lando was second but when I saw him there in parc fermé, alongside me, it felt so good.We gave each other a hug and I think all I said to him was, “Did we just get a one-two?!” I think that's what I said. I remember hitting him on the helmet and was like, “The team must be so happy right now.”