Ricciardo says training 'more productive' than sim racing

Daniel Ricciardo has so far refrained from joining F1's Esports community, opting to focus instead on his productive physical training but also for fear of becoming consumed by the online craze.

Formula 1's forced hiatus amid the coronavirus crisis has spurred a strong interest in sim racing, both from fans and participants.

While Max Verstappen and Lando Norris have been racing online for years, the likes of Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Nicholas Latifi or Alex Albon joined the fray only recently, but so far the group is showing unwavering enthusiasm for the virtual world.

But Ricciardo, who is spending his lockdown on the family farm in Australia, says his chances of racing online against Verstappen, his former Red Bull teammate, are "slim".

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"He’s all about the sim stuff," the Aussie told The New Daily. "I wanna say he’s spending more than 50 per cent of his waking day on one. So yeah, I’m not there.

"I just know with my competitive nature, if I got one, I’m going to be spending hours on it a day.

"And before you know, I’m missing training sessions racing these sims, and I feel that the training is more productive.

"I’m very self-motivated. I would say most times I even prefer training alone. I’d love to go running alone and just getting my own space, listen to music and get in my zone.

"I’m missing the racing and I’ve got that bug in me that I just want to go again, so I’m staying ready and, and that’s kind of my driving purpose."

So how does F1's Honey badger spend his time when he's not training?

"If we have a good day training, it is nice to just put a TV show on and indulge in a season of Ozark [on Netflix].

"Now there’s 'The Last Dance' on. I grew up a Michael Jordan fan, so that’s certainly appealing for me.

"But otherwise, I think I’m quite lucky to be on the farm. I’m not locked in an apartment just with only really my phone or the internet as an escape.

"I’ve even tried to introduce some phone detox days, where you don’t really use your phone because hours can go by and I don’t really want to get indulged too much in that."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.