McLaren posted a photo of Daniel Ricciardo perched on the front wheel of the McLaren MCL35M at the Woking factory, stating he was “already up to mischief in the office” ahead of his second season in papaya colours.
The Australian will spend a few days getting ready for the presentation of the car for the next campaign, which will be on February 18, a week before the start of the tests in Barcelona.
The preseason is important for all riders, even more so for those who come from farther away from Europe, which with the current pandemic make travel a real pipe dream with restrictions.
Nostalgia, as Ricciardo himself pointed out a few weeks ago, is an undervalued challenge that must be faced by the elite of the competition. Carving out a professional career in such a sport is an achievement in itself, as huge sacrifices must be made, such as leaving home at a young age to rise through the ranks.
The McLaren driver was outspoken about the impact of spending several months away from his home in Australia, explaining the need to return after the entire winter, even if it meant a mandatory two-week quarantine.
He had not seen his family and friends from his country since June 2020 due to travel restrictions, and the lack of possibility of taking them to a race hit harder than in previous courses.
“I wouldn’t say it affects me when I’m a driver, but when things don’t go well then it takes its toll, because what you want is the support and love of the family. When it happens you can feel very lonely,” Ricciardo said.
Ricciardo is not the only one facing the challenge of being away from home. Sergio Pérez also expressed how difficult it was for him to move from Mexico to Europe as a teenager, and the next rookie, Guanyu Zhou, reinforced that idea by having to leave China to fulfill his goal of being a Formula 1 driver.
Another Grand Circus rider who went through something similar was Yuki Tsunoda, whose rapid rise through the ranks led him to be part of the AlphaTauri team. Hailed as the great hope of Red Bull and Honda, the Japanese impressed in pre-season testing but, by his own admission, lost confidence throughout the year due to his mistakes.
This caused the team to decide that the Japanese would move from Milton Keynes to Faenza, to be closer to the factory. According to Tsunoda, he was “lazy” before the move, and spent too much time playing video games, not allowing him to concentrate for the race weekend.
It was a difficult lesson for the Japanese to learn, but at 21, it was necessary to face a new campaign in Europe, having left Japan while still in Formula 3.
“I was a bit worried, because up to that point, I had never lived alone,” Tsunoda said in an interview with Motorsport.com a few months ago. “It was the first time I lived alone and I was in another country, I was worried, but I was fine.”
The Japanese learned to cook his own meals during his stay in France: “I didn’t have the courage to go to a restaurant and speak French. I just bought the ingredients at the supermarket, I cooked every day.”
It may seem strange, but these little details have an impact on elite pilots, and if you want to have the best performance, you need to have as many comforts as possible at your disposal.
Now, Tsunoda to be settled in Italy after spending time in Milton Keynes: “I prefer to be here. I like the weather better and also the food, but I can go to the factory after the races and see where I can improve, so that’s good.”
Someone else who could sympathize with what AlphaTauri experienced is the MotoGP rider of the LCR Honda team Takaaki Nakagami , who moved to Italy in 2012 at the age of 20 when he was still in Moto2. A decade later, it has its home in Spain and has become a classic on the grill.
“The first time I came to Europe, everything was new, it was impressive to me,” he told Motorsport.com . “I tried to adapt, because I had to live there, I couldn’t go back to Japan. I started to understand the country and the culture of Italy, good food, great memories.”
Food was something Nakagami used as a consolation when he moved: “I brought the rice cooker from Japan, and also, which is impressive, the rice!”
“I never buy white rice in Europe, I’ve never tried it, but maybe one day I will. I love eating Japanese food, and we always eat rice. It gives you energy, and I stick with the Japanese style,” he explained.
Like Ricciardo, the two Japanese drivers had difficulty returning to their country due to restrictions due to the pandemic. “It’s not easy,” Nakagami said, regretting that she hadn’t been able to visit home over the summer break to recharge her batteries.
“Anyway, I enjoy spending time with my friends from Europe. It’s a different situation, but I always try to enjoy my life, that’s working out quite well,” the MotoGP rider commented.
The winter gave them the opportunity to return to Japan, something very similar to what Ricciardo did. Tsunoda posted some photos on his Instagram having a nice get-together with his friends , while Nakagami rounded out his visit by combining commitments with sponsors , including LCR Honda’s main partner, Idemitsu.
As travel restrictions ease around the world, hopefully the impact of nostalgia will lessen on pilots, who spend most of their lives on the go away from their friends. and relatives.
As well as sports performance, another very important factor must also be taken into account in the future, that of mental health, which is key at the top of the sport, and which drivers like Lando Norris have already brought to the table.
