Ricciardo struggled with form from the start of the season and in August agreed an agreement to end his contract with McLaren a year early, making way for 2021 FIA Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri, to take his seat.
Ricciardo said Vettel, who will retire from F1 at the end of 2022, gave him welcome moral support at a difficult time.
“I won’t go into detail about what was said or anything,” Ricciardo said.
“I mean, as a general comment, he’s picked up the phone a couple times this year, and just been a friend, and just like paying attention, and just checking in, checking in like he would a true friend.
“And having friends like that is so important. But it’s also not that common, in terms of networking.
“We get along with the pilots, and you build friendships, but to have a kind of deeper level of friendship, and say some of the gestures he’s made this year, and some of the kindness he’s shown to me was, in a way, kind of unexpected. But yeah, just super nice.
Asked to clarify when Vettel reached out, Ricciardo said: “It had a bit more emphasis when all the contracts were happening, and when there was a lot of noise.
“And I don’t want to single him out because there were other drivers, but he was definitely the one picking up the phone quite often and checking in.”
Ricciardo remains determined to sit out next season, likely with a reserve driver role, before attempting to bounce back with a top F1 seat in 2024.
He is adamant that a year on the sidelines will make him more eager for a comeback than if he had moved to a less competitive team and raced next year.
“It’s funny, because people might say, if you’re interested in 2024, why aren’t you interested in next year?” he said of his strategy.
“But I know how I’ll feel after taking some time and watching the races on TV or somewhere in the paddock, it’ll give me all that, let’s say, hunger in return. And I’m still hungry, but I want it to overflow.
Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“I know a little time off will do, because I get it during the summer vacation, and it’s only two or three weeks off.
“I really felt it in COVID, when we had three months off or something, and I felt like it was my best probably my best season since maybe 2016.
“And so I know what a little absence does for me. And I appreciate that every rider is different and feels what they feel. But I know having good weather next year will make me really want to be back on the grid in 2024.
“That’s why I say I want to be back in 2024. But there are no guarantees.
“I can’t sign a contract today to guarantee me a seat in 2024. No one will do that. It’s not possible. But yeah, I’ll just try to do everything I can next year to show that I still have the desire and obviously the skills to do so.
“I think the risk is jumping into a seat next year. It’s shown here in my time at McLaren, nothing is guaranteed in terms of performance.
“So if it was for some reason, let’s say, a relatively unsuccessful campaign, then I think I would personally be done with the sport. So that risk seems much greater than the risk of doing nothing for a year.”
Ricciardo struggled with form from the start of the season and in August agreed an agreement to end his contract with McLaren a year early, making way for 2021 FIA Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri, to take his seat.
Ricciardo said Vettel, who will retire from F1 at the end of 2022, gave him welcome moral support at a difficult time.
“I won’t go into detail about what was said or anything,” Ricciardo said.
“I mean, as a general comment, he’s picked up the phone a couple times this year, and just been a friend, and just like paying attention, and just checking in, checking in like he would a true friend.
“And having friends like that is so important. But it’s also not that common, in terms of networking.
“We get along with the pilots, and you build friendships, but to have a kind of deeper level of friendship, and say some of the gestures he’s made this year, and some of the kindness he’s shown to me was, in a way, kind of unexpected. But yeah, just super nice.
Asked to clarify when Vettel reached out, Ricciardo said: “It had a bit more emphasis when all the contracts were happening, and when there was a lot of noise.
“And I don’t want to single him out because there were other drivers, but he was definitely the one picking up the phone quite often and checking in.”
Ricciardo remains determined to sit out next season, likely with a reserve driver role, before attempting to bounce back with a top F1 seat in 2024.
He is adamant that a year on the sidelines will make him more eager for a comeback than if he had moved to a less competitive team and raced next year.
“It’s funny, because people might say, if you’re interested in 2024, why aren’t you interested in next year?” he said of his strategy.
“But I know how I’ll feel after taking some time and watching the races on TV or somewhere in the paddock, it’ll give me all that, let’s say, hunger in return. And I’m still hungry, but I want it to overflow.
Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“I know a little time off will do, because I get it during the summer vacation, and it’s only two or three weeks off.
“I really felt it in COVID, when we had three months off or something, and I felt like it was my best probably my best season since maybe 2016.
“And so I know what a little absence does for me. And I appreciate that every rider is different and feels what they feel. But I know having good weather next year will make me really want to be back on the grid in 2024.
“That’s why I say I want to be back in 2024. But there are no guarantees.
“I can’t sign a contract today to guarantee me a seat in 2024. No one will do that. It’s not possible. But yeah, I’ll just try to do everything I can next year to show that I still have the desire and obviously the skills to do so.
“I think the risk is jumping into a seat next year. It’s shown here in my time at McLaren, nothing is guaranteed in terms of performance.
“So if it was for some reason, let’s say, a relatively unsuccessful campaign, then I think I would personally be done with the sport. So that risk seems much greater than the risk of doing nothing for a year.”