Toto Wolff admits he can understand Daniel Ricciardo's recent admission that he felt a sense of "burnout" after a challenging 2022 season. The Australian was left without a seat on the grid for 2023 after he and McLaren mutually agreed to end his multi-year contract early following his difficulties at the team. Following this, Ricciardo was then linked to a possible reserve driver position at Mercedes but ultimately took this role at Red Bull, marking a return to the Milton Keynes-based squad following his departure at the end of 2018. Mercedes boss Wolff has shed light on the discussions that the outfit had with Ricciardo. "Daniel is a great personality," Wolff told the Beyond The Grid podcast. "I still believe that he's a great racing driver. Whatever happened in McLaren is quite difficult to understand, but you don't unlearn how to drive. That remains a mystery. "We spoke to him about options, but it never went to a point that we said, 'Okay, let's seriously consider going that way.'"
Wolff empathises with Ricciardo
Ricciardo has spoken of feeling some "burnout" in recent times . When asked if he ever felt in danger of experiencing this himself, Wolff responded: "I didn't know that he said that. But absolutely, yes. "Burnout is a name for a mental health issue, whether this is anxiety, depression or just being totally depleted of your emotional or physical or mental power. "That can happen and, of course, it's going to affect your driving and your professional life, as it will your private life."
Wolff doesn't have a 'bucket list'
With more time on his hands in 2023, Ricciardo has revealed that he hopes to embark on adventures such as a roadtrip across Route 66 in America. Wolff does not have a 'bucket list' of such activities himself and instead aims to take enjoyment from day-to-day life. "I'm trying to really live my life to the fullest," the Team Principal said. "[When it was Susie's birthday] I said, 'What do you want to do as a special celebration?' And she said, 'Well, I think we're [living] it every day, and we're happy every day'. And she's right. "I'm trying [to] wake up with the mindset of, 'Let's [get] the most out of the day', but [that's] not always possible. Sometimes you're just not happy. "But, as a matter of fact, there is no such thing as a bucket list. There's lots of things to dream of but, at the moment, what I do [and] how we live is what I really enjoy."
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