But the eight-time race winner knows that he is still capable of battling it out on the track, he just needs to do so on a more regular basis.
“[It’s] my biggest frustration,” he told F1 Unlocked when it came to his inability to string together a series of decent results.
“It’s a frustration because I look at myself in the mirror and say I can do this very, very well so how do I make sure I do it consistently? Because if I do, I’m laughing. But it’s more positive than negative.
“There will be a day when I won’t be able to do it as good, but I’m much rather have these sporadic good days that it shows I’ve still got those capabilities to do something great – and then it’s up to me to unlock it more often.”
The size of the challenge is not lost on Ricciardo, who is adamant that he still has the motivation to compete at the very highest level.
“There will be tough days ahead, there will be lows, but I still love the anticipation of a race week, I love the opportunity,” he added.
“There’s the curiosity – could this week be a standout week, could something special happen? I still believe it can – so that’s where that excitement still lies and remains.
“The competition is great. Of course I have won before, and I love nothing more than winning, but right now, scoring points is our little victory – so that’s the fight. If I have managed to do that, I’ll leave the track happy – and I’m sure I’ll have fun doing it.”