A dreadful two-year spell came to a premature close at the end of 2022 when McLaren opted t🙈o pay off the third year of Ricciardo𓃲’s deal in order to replace him with rookie Oscar Piastri.

It left the veteran driver without a full-time s🌊eat this season, aౠnd also shrouded his longer-term future in doubt.

• Ricciardo wants F1 return but “not at any cost” | Eyes set on “toꦫp team”

“I will always 🃏take൲ some responsibility or accountability,” he said to .

“For many years I truly believed I was the best, and I am the best in the world, so whatever t🍸he situation, I’ll be able to overcome it.

“And obviously with McLaren🤡♎ it was tough for me to do that.

“I was aware that I’m not the perfect driver, I do🍰 have weaknesses. So I’ll always hold something on to myself.

“Having a bit of a chanceꦍ to remove myself from it and now looking back on the last two years, I would have done things differently if I had that time again - maybe ask more questions or been a little bit more demanding.

“But ℱyou also live and you learn, so ꦛI don’t look back with regret. That was a situation and I got through it.”

Ricciardo ♎is the third driver for Red Bull this season but is expected t🐽o pursue a full-time seat next year.

“Now, getting back into Red Bull, my confidence was probably n♊🍌ot what it used to be as well.

“I was prob🅷ably a little biꦉt timid getting into the simulator, trying to downplay how it was going to go.

“But as the day went on, th꧟e more comfortable I felt, and the more it just felt like I was back hꦦome in a car that I honestly felt comfortable with.

“Eꦕverything felt like it was pretty recharged after that first day.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner aimed a dig atౠ McLaren CEO Zaﷺk Brown when discussing Ricciardo recently.

“We had to feed him up, I don’t know what you guys did to him,” Horner said🀅.

“He looked skinny. He looks healthier now. He’s traininඣg hard and ready to go, given a chance.”

Ricciardo revealed that his ambition is to return to a team near the top of the F1 pecking order, saying:  “I don’t want to just be on 🍃the grid [in order] to be on the grid and struggle in 18th place.”