In the wake of finding his form and claiming a stunning victory at Monza, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo has shed some light on the way in which he prepares for races and the mentality behind his successes.
Ricciardo revealed that he is “not ashamed to say” that he understands “the best part of nothing” when it comes to the technical aspect of a Formula 1 car.
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Speaking to Party Casino, he said “my job is to drive and that’s it. So, I just put all my energy into that.”
Instead of focusing on the technical aspects of racing, Ricciardo finds success through his instinctive driving style and pre-race preparations.
“I love music, so I will always be listening to music,” he added.
“It’s also a good way to just like switch off and shut out the noise, the hustle and bustle of the grid.”
Ricciardo revealed that he enjoys listening to hip hop because “there’s a beat and lyrically, it’s kinda filthy sometimes, and that’s the state of mind I like to be in. I just want to be a bad person.”
Despite disclosing his preference for a dirty beat before the race, it seems Ricciardo won’t be making any excuses for poor performance if his headphones break, stating that he has “no lucky charms” and “no superstitions.”
“I get quite punchy with that stuff. It’s simply just a weakness and it’s another excuse for something to go wrong. It’s a way to lack accountability for yourself”.
When quizzed about his race game, Ricciardo explained that much of his focus is on perfecting the first lap.
“That first lap can make or break your race so I definitely make a point to be as on as I can for those first 60 seconds.
“Once the chaos of the first lap and like the field settles a bit, then I’ll normally take two deep breaths.”
Despite a shaky start to the season, it would appear that Ricciardo has once again found his groove, and he’ll be looking to end his debut season with McLaren on a high.
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