Daniel Ricciardo is pondering. This year, a presence in the paddock – but not on the racetrack – has been a curiously flummoxing existence for someone so synonymous with a seat at the 20-man table. In his own words, he has been doing “everything the drivers are doing… other than the driving.” So aside from the obvious of the lights-to-flag racing, what has the Australian found the most difficult about his eight months away from Formula 1? “I’d say the starting grid on Sunday,” he says, a glint in his eye, a longing for something previous. “I love that feeling before you’re about to race. It’s intense, it’s nerve-racking but it’s awesome. I miss that buzz.” Well, miss it no longer. The Honey Badger is back. Officially on loan from Red Bull to sister team AlphaTauri for the remainder of the season, Ricciardo last week replaced the axed Nyck de Vries and will be in the cockpit in Hungary this weekend. It represents a lifeline – his lifeline – back into the sport, a carving of an opportunity so desperately craved. In the end, he only missed 10 races. And all it took was one Silverstone tyre test after the British Grand Prix, at the wheel of the fastest car in F1 this year. A pace which would have put him on the front row of the grid a few days earlier. Never a duo to hesitate, Red Bull chiefs Helmut Marko and Christian Horner made the call swiftly. “After Abu Dhabi last year, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever race again,” he reveals to The Independent, with a casualness which implies a deep-down admittance that he wasn’t done just yet. “But coming back this year, I removed all ego and status. “I do think this year will be the best thing that’s ever happened to me and it will boost me now for the rest of my career. It honestly came at the right time… everything happens for a reason.” How a career can change in a year. Because, although we didn’t know it at the time, last year’s British Grand Prix was the breaking point for McLaren and Ricciardo’s uncomfortable marriage. A day after the Aussie finished second-last out of all the finishers at Silverstone, McLaren big boss Zak Brown made initial contact with Oscar Piastri. As Ricciardo interjects, this is where “all the s*** went down!” Nothing short of gutted at the time – “it sucked” – the 34-year-old now takes the judgement call as a positive. A chance to regroup, reassess and especially in the initial stages, relax. “I’ve really enjoyed this time off, to have the time for myself,” he says. “Last week I went home to Australia for my birthday, I haven’t done that since I was 17… so 17 years ago. “It honestly came at the right time. Look, I wish those two years were better. But it’s given me a mental break because the competition is intense, as much as we love it. It consumes a lot of you so I feel for me to bring my cortisol levels down a little bit, I just feel a lot more balanced this year.” Ricciardo hadn’t missed a grand prix since June 2011. 11 years, 232 races later and so came to pass a rest he now admits was much-needed and well-utilised. A huge NFL fan and a supporter of the Buffalo Bills, he attended the Super Bowl in Arizona. The same week, he thrived in the modern anarchy of golf’s WM Phoenix Open. He even went to the prestigious Met Gala in New York. But more than any showbiz spectacles, he felt like a normal human being again. “I didn’t want to see a gym for a while,” he says. “I just wanted to eat and drink with my mates. Out of principle, I wanted to give myself a break. Just to allow myself to put on a few kgs. It felt really good, I trained just once in December and January.” But then, around the launch of Red Bull’s 2023 car in New York, a flip. “I got to February and remember thinking ‘yeah, I’m done.’ I’d had enough. I didn’t feel like drinking every weekend and partying all the time. I wasn’t going crazy but I thought ‘this life isn’t for me just yet’. “And then I became very self-motivated. I wanted it to come from me, I didn’t want someone telling me to run. I had this urge and desire to be back on the grid – and I’ve never enjoyed training so much. I’ve got more energy to train and the desire has increased, especially not being jet-lagged every fricking week!” Much to the surprise of many, while Ricciardo did take up the “third driver” role with a Red Bull team he claimed seven of his eight grand prix wins with from 2014-2018, he opted against racing even part-time in other racing series. For a lover of America, the likes of IndyCar and NASCAR were not explored. Not even a one-time jaunt at the 24 hours of Le Mans. Why? “Two reasons,” he starts. “Still a big part of me wanted a break from competition. It’s probably the thing I love most in life is competition, it’s why I race. But equally, it’s really tiring and draining. The last few years did take it out of me. “The other element is I still feel really strongly about being in this sport. The moment I start to engage in something else, the perception is: ‘Is he thinking of an alternative career?’ “There’s been times where I’ve been really keen to do Le Mans. I was desperate in 2015, speaking to Andreas Seidl who was running the Porsche project and was asking Red Bull to let me do it. But now, it’s not something that I need to do before I die. “I’ve given so much to F1 that I don’t have the capacity to do something else at the level and effort that I’ve put into this sport.” And how Ricciardo’s decision has bore fruit. Attaching himself back in the ecosystem where it all began with Toro Rosso, the Australian who has catapulted himself into a sporting celebrity with his warm, charming personality has ended up back at the modern-day equivalent team in AlphaTauri. Simulator sessions – even with ex-race engineer Simon Rennie now running the programme at Red Bull – are never enough for any racer. Cue the second coming. Now entering the twilight years of his career, can he see himself ‘doing an Alonso’ and racing into his 40s? Given his perseverance to reclaim a spot on the grid this year, the response is something of a surprise. “Ideally not,” he says. “Ideally, I’d have had enough success in the next five years. I think there’s something cool about going out on top. “This is my element but what this year has shown is I’m OK after retirement, I do have hobbies and other things going on. For lots of athletes, the thought of retirement is scary – what do you do now? You’ve lived this crazy life for so long that it can be daunting. “But for me, let’s say the next 3-5 years of awesome success and then… peace!” Now up against Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri, with Max Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez already under pressure after a string of poor performances, a spot with Red Bull next year is not the ludicrous suggestion it may have been six months ago. 2025 may still be the more realistic target. Ricciardo admits “if one step here then gets me here… then I have to be open-minded” with regards to future seats. Nice guys come last, as the episode title for his McLaren demise in Netflix’s Drive to Survive insinuates. Yet for Ricciardo, a re-opening of a door which looked closed could trigger a renaissance. A planned road trip across the United States will have to wait. Instead, a chance to race in his beloved Las Vegas in November has come to fruition – and a chance to get back to the front. The ultimate ambition – race wins, maybe even a world championship – is still at the forefront of his mind. “That is the reason I would come back,” he signs off. “I still believe I can do it. I feel like the Red Bull Daniel. He is still here.” Read More Red Bull has handed Daniel Ricciardo the first step to Sergio Perez’s seat Daniel Ricciardo returns to F1 as he replaces Nyck de Vries Daniel Ricciardo shaped void will take some filling by Oscar Piastri at Australian GP Daniel Ricciardo: I thought I’d never race in F1 again Sebastian Vettel hints at return to F1: ‘I have some ideas’ Red Bull has handed Daniel Ricciardo the first step to Sergio Perez’s seat

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Halloween is next week (or this weekend if you're celebrating early) and so many of us will be trying to scramble a last-minute costume together. From Barbenheimer to Taylor Swift, this year has been jam-packed with pop culture moments and so there are a number of options to choose from that are relevant and fresh. And with TikTok being a great source for all things Halloween-inspired, the possibilities are endless. Here is a rundown of the costumes that best represent 2023 - if that's the vibe you're going for: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce @nfl gonna see a lot of these costumes this year 😭😂 #traviskelce #taylorswift #halloween #nfl (via kidsuper/IG) With pop star Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce making headlines with their rumoured romance, there's no doubt this will be a popular couple's costume. Meanwhile, one couple was ahead of the trend as Makayla and Nick Stephens dressed up as the celebrity couple back in 2020 - years before Swift and Kelce got together, and now their holiday photo has gone viral. Or Taylor Swift (from any era) @baileylovestayl0r 2 more months!! 🎃 part 2? #fyp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #taylorswiftedit #halloween #halloweencostume #ideas If you wantfell to dress up as Taylor Swift for Halloween, then the internet is full of inspiration thanks to Swifties dressing up in singer's different album eras when attending the Eras Tour live shows. Whether, it's debut, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, reputation, Lover, Folklore, Evermore or Midnights, there are costume tutorials and guides out there for every single one. AI-generated Pope in a Puffer Jacket Artificial intelligence has improved in recent years, so much so this realistic photo generated by AI of the Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket had people scratching their heads, unsure on whether it was real. The image quickly became a viral meme, so this would be a great 2023 meme to recreate for Halloween - and you'll be kept warm wearing a puffer jacket. Carmy from the Bear @sofia.silerio yes jeff #fyp #thebear #jeremyallenwhite #halloween #halloweencostume Season 2 of The Bear was released in June this year, and viewers love Jeremy Allen White's character the intense award-winning chef - a costume that is easy to put together with a white t-shirt, black trousers and a blue apron. Daisy Jones & the Six @ecovi ahead of my time @daisyjonesandthesix #halloween #halloweeninspo #halloween2023 #fyp #foryou Channel the 1970s by recreating looks from Daisy Jones & The Six, after the TV adaptation was released back in March - this could make a great group costume. Some of the different elements include flared trousers, crochet tops, kimonos, and florals while not forgetting the knee-high platform boots. Kendall Roy from Succession @remyedenmaria My boy squiggle cooked up this beat for me #kendallroy #halloween #ltotheog #succession #successionhbo #jeremystrong #fyp #foryoupage Viewers were devastated when the final season of Succession aired back in May this year, but fans can recreate one of the show's most iconic moments - Kendall Roy displaying his rap skills with his song 'L to the OG'. To channel Kendall, you'll need a pinstripe NY Yankees jersey, and a white shirt with a black bowtie. Rihanna at the Super Bowl @lifewithvikki best couple’s costume if you ask me #halloween #couplescostume #rihanna #rihannasuperbowl #rihannahalftimeshow Rihanna playing her biggest hits while pregnant at this year's Super Bowl was one of the musical highlights of 2023, so there was no doubt it would also be a go-to costume for Halloween. And if you're looking for a group costume, then other pals can dress up in white as the backup dancers - which inspired plenty of memes. Barbenheimer @noodlesn16 #greenscreen Barbenheimer will be the number 1. Count it ONE. Couples Halloween cotume this year. You heard it here first. #barbie #barbenheimer #oppenheimer #halloween #couplescostume With the release of the Barbie movie and Oppenheimer on the same day (July 21), 2023 was truly a Barbenheimer summer, and so this will no doubt inspire many looks this Halloween. For those who want to dress as Barbie there are a number of looks to choose from - roller-skating Barbie, cowgirl Barbie and disco Barbie etc, while with Ken you have surfer Ken, cowboy Ken, or the white fur coat look with the bandana and glasses. While bright and bold colours are seen in Barbie, those dressing up in an Oppenheimer look should be suited and booted in muted tones from the 1940s - with a porkpie hat and a cigarette or smoking pipe. Justin and Hailey Bieber @biebersgoodside.2 “Another one. Thank u!” 🤣 #justinbieber #haileybieber #jailey #halloween #couplecostumes #bieberfever #costume Justin and Hailey Bieber became a meme this year for their different styles, with Hailey dressing up when attending events while Justin goes for the more casual and relaxed look. This is a pretty easy couples costume as you can recreate the look with clothes from your own wardrobe. Paris bed bugs @thatblonderebel Easy Halloween costume: Parisian bedbugs video inspo: @Danielle Pinnock #halloweencostume The news of bedbugs infesting public transport in Paris soon became a viral concern as videos circulated of the critters on TikTok so what better way to reference a recent trend than by dressing up as a bedbug for Halloween? (After all, Londoners have been petrified of bugs arriving on the tubes and trains). Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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