02/09/2019
NEWS STORY
Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that he had doubts about participating in the Belgian Grand Prix following the death of French F2 star Anthoine Hubert.
"I'm glad today is over," the Australian told reporters following the race in which he finished 14th, his race effectively ended in the first corner when he was hit from behind by Lance Stroll in the melee that followed Max Verstappen's clash with Kimi Raikkonen.
"I know, weirdly enough, the best way we can kind of show our respect was to race today," Ricciardo continued, "but I don't think any of us actually wanted to be here, or wanted to race at least.
"I'm speaking for myself," he added, "but I'm sure I'm not the only one. It was tough, it was certainly tough to be here and try and put on a brave face for everyone.
"I know a lot of people in the paddock are hurting after yesterday," he added. "I think everyone's relieved it's done and we can move on from here and hopefully it's the last time this stuff happens."
Asked if he had considered withdrawing at any stage, the Australian admitted: "Yeah, last night, absolutely.
"You question, 'is it really worth it?'," he admitted. "Because at the end of the day, it's a simple question but it's a pretty honest one as well.
"But it's our job, it's our profession and it's our life, but also it's still just racing cars around in circles.
"To be honest, seeing some of his family here today, that's what gave me more strength than anything else," he said. "Taking my hat off to them doesn't do it justice. I don't know what to say. I could not imagine being in their position, I felt they were a lot stronger than any of us today."
Check out our Sunday gallery from Spa, here.