Daniel Ricciardo has confessed that his 2015 bump in pay hasn’t helped him enjoy such a difficult season.
Last year was Ricciardo’s first season with Red Bull, when as a rookie, he secured three F1 wins, earning himself a sizable wage boost from Christian Horner.
This year, however, good results have been hard to come by for Red Bull, with Mercedes, Ferrari and even Williams fighting for the top 6 places on the grid.
For the Aussie driver, even though the extra money is most welcome, it still doesn’t equal success.
“Last year was easy in a way because nearly every race we could fight for a podium. You sort of got into a rhythm. This year I got a little bit of a pay rise, which is nice, but I’m a lot less happier than last year because of the results.”
It’s easy to understand why he would feel that way, after all, he’s a competitor, driven by the need to succeed at what he does. Plus, when you already earn a lot of money, you’re more free to focus on other things, such as legacy.
“Even though I make a bit more money, it means nothing to me now,” added Ricciardo. “The success is purely what I’m driven by, and that’s good for me. It shows the hunger is stronger than ever, and that’s my biggest motivation.”
If his team keeps improving like they did in Hungary, it’s conceivable that Ricciardo will find himself fighting both Ferrari and Williams drivers for position. Right now, he’s within 26 points of Bottas, Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.
Catching at least one or two of them is certainly no mission impossible.
Story references: Autosport
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