"If I was to win a world title next year, no I wouldn’t retire" - Daniel Ricciardo on Nico Rosberg retiring after winning the F1 title

Daniel Ricciardo has made a sensational comeback to the F1 grid after being on the sidelines as the third driver for Red Bull. Ricciardo will be back in action for the Hungarian GP, returning to his former team AlphaTauri.

Since parting ways with McLaren last season, Ricciardo was expected to find his way back to the grid in 2024. It wasn't a surprise when his hiatus was cut short by Helmut Marko swinging the axe on rookie Nyck de Vries. However, before the announcement was made, the Australian had opened up about his retirement plans.

For the 34-year-old Ricciardo, winning a world title still remains at the top of his bucket list. The Aussie driver explained that if he was to win a world title, he would not bow out like Nico Rosberg, who retired from F1 days after winning the drivers championship in 2016.

"If I am a world champion, I don’t know if I’ll be retired, because that would mean that things are going well," he said in an interview with Crash.net. "Then I look at [Nico] Rosberg and I get it, but it also felt like maybe one year too early. So it’s hard to find that balance."

He then added that he would be happy to bow out of the sport if he was to win a title in the next five years when he nears the age of 40.

"If I was to win a world title next year, no I wouldn’t retire. But if I was to win one in five years, maybe then I’d be like, ‘That’s a great way to sign off’," he said.

Daniel Ricciardo further mentioned it's not ideal for a driver to remain in the sport just because they are afraid to step into their post-retirement life. On that front, Ricciardo expressed that he is much more comfortable now, after spending some time away from the spotlight.

"If you are kind of hanging onto the sport because you are scared of what happens next, then that’s where it’s maybe it’s like it’s getting a bit long. I think that’s one thing where, speaking of me personally, this year I feel a lot more comfort about the day I do officially retire. I’m not scared about retirement," he concluded.

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Daniel Ricciardo outlines his expectations at AlphaTauri

Daniel Ricciardo in Silverstone

While Daniel Ricciardo has made a sensational comeback, he will be driving the slowest car on the grid. The AlphaTauri AT04 has been troublesome to handle with just two points on the board in the first half of the season.

However, Ricciardo remains optimistic about making the most out of the machinery while trying to avoid a slow start to his campaign.

"I’m excited about it," Ricciardo said in an interview with F1. "It’s a challenge for sure to jump in and try to hit the ground running."

"I appreciate the car is going to have its limitations. It might not have as much grip as the Red Bull I drove a few days ago but, if it feels relatively balanced, then that’s something I can work with."

Daniel Ricciardo's results in the remainder of the season will decide if he gets a second chance at Red Bull.