Ricciardo hoping for a "sad-to-leave" feeling at the end of season

Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo has expressed his desire to have a "sad-to-leave" feeling when he departs for McLaren at the end of the season.

Ricciardo will take the seat left by Carlos Sainz for 2021, bringing an end to a two-year stint with the French manufacturer.

Over the last few races, Renault and Ricciardo have hit a purple patch of form, with the Australian securing the team's first podium since 2011 at the Nürburgring last time out.

After previously stating the move would now be bittersweet, Ricciardo has now stated he wants to be disappointed to leave, with the last few months pleasant due to results.

"I definitely want that ‘sad-to-leave’ feeling," said Ricciardo. "When I announced my move to McLaren, I didn’t want the next six months to be a painful or uncomfortable six months. As you’ve noticed, it hasn’t been like that at all. It’s been really good.

"I think the initial news, or the impact of such news, emotions dictate how you feel, it is a little uncomfortable. Making this call, it’s not fun from my side to do it either.

"The kind of blessing in disguise from that was the season hadn’t really started, we were still in isolation lockdown so we kind of had some time to self-reflect on it .

"Then by the time we got racing, things were already put behind us and it was ‘alright, we’ve got 17 races to do what we got to do and let’s get our head down’.

Ricciardo and team principal Cyril Abiteboul have had an amicable relationship since the start of the season, with a wager placed over a podium finish which has resulted in an upcoming trip to a tattoo parlour for the Frenchman.

Ricciardo has attributed the professionalism from both parties to the success achieved so far this season.

"Both sides have attacked it with a lot of maturity and as you can see, a lot of confidence," he explained.

"The relationship has been cool, I’ve never seen someone so excited, not only the thought of getting a tattoo without knowing he’s going to get one.

"It’s actually been fun. I want to leave this team with everyone content, happy, satisfied and feeling like we fulfilled a solid two years."

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