Daniel Ricciardo is certainly making the most of his hiatus from the Formula 1 grid this year.
The Aussie racer lost his race seat after two fairly miserable years with McLaren, during which time he struggled to get to grips with the car. Despite the high point of that famous win at Monza in 2021, Ricciardo failed to find results and consistency over an extended period of time.
So his contract was cut short and fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri brought in to replace him for this season. Free from the responsibilities of being an F1 driver for at least the next year, Ricciardo has been making the most of the extra time he has to enjoy himself.
Based predominantly in the US, he made the trip west and was spotted partying with electronic music duo The Chainsmokers at the Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas. With the Australian Grand Prix weekend just a few days away, he was clearly making the most of the fact he is not expected to drive.
But Ricciardo will be in Melbourne this weekend as he returns to the F1 paddock for the first time since dropping off the grid. He is a Red Bull reserve driver at several races this year, and his home Grand Prix is the first at which he will be on duty in that capacity.
Not that it needed clarifying, but Red Bull confirmed that Ricciardo will be backup only to Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in a now-deleted tweet. He will no doubt still be kept busy, though, with Red Bull keen to maximise the 33-year-old's marketability.
In a recent post on social media, Ricciardo outlined his goals for the 2023 season. He wrote: "This is the first year in as long as I can remember that my goals aren't going to be 100% about racing and competing.
"I'm back in an environment and ultimately a family that I have a lot of good memories with, and it feels really good to be back there. But it's not about me this year, it's about the wider team and trying to contribute and help them where I can.
"Jumping into the simulator, learning their car and helping shape the development are all things I'm focused on doing. In turn that will develop my abilities, my confidence and my enjoyment behind the wheel."
