“It is just an insult to injury”: Daniel Ricciardo says he is not looking forward to start the race on the right side of the grid at the Qatar GP

"It is just an insult to injury": Daniel Ricciardo says he is not looking forward to start the race on the right side of the grid at the Qatar GP

Daniel Ricciardo says starting the race on the right side of the grid is an ‘insult to injury’ as he qualifies P14 for the race on Sunday.

Ricciardo’s Saturday under the lights at the Losail International Circuit was forgettable. It was a surprising session for many involved. Other than Ricciardo, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also failed to break into the top 10.

The McLaren driver will start from P14, next to Leclerc. However, the Aussie driver said that starting P14 was not ideal. According to him, the right side of the grid will not be a good place to overtake cars as the optimal racing line will be on the outside.

“I think the insult to injury is the right-hand side of the grid is going to be terrible.” Ricciardo said to Sky Sports.

Ricciardo then joked about ‘protesting the decision’. This was a dig at the recent verbal battles between the Red Bull and Mercedes bosses.

“I know that sounds real negative, but I think it’s speaking fact at the moment, there are no support categories this weekend so we will see if they can give it a polish tonight.” “Or we can protest someone, gain a position, they all got in my way so I’m going to protest them actually.” he said.

Also read: McLaren team principal is not happy with how FIA let Max Verstappen go unpunished

The car just lacked a lot of pace, says Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo struggled for form in the starting stages of the season. However, the 32-year-old has reached Q3 in seven of the last eight races this year. Hence, it was a surprise when the honey badger missed out on the final session of the evening.

The McLaren driver admitted that they had been struggling in the long corners all year long. The corner at Lusail did little to help the papaya team when it came to pace.

“Honestly, just didn’t have the pace, I think all weekend we were trying to find a bit more,” he said.

“That didn’t feel that bad. But just trying to carry a little bit more speed through a few corners. I just couldn’t quite get it to hold. So not really finding those last few tenths.”

“So we will see what we can do, free tire choice, I’ll take that, but ultimately didn’t have the pace. “Some corners feel pretty good, but I think we know this year these long corners is where we struggle more than others,” said Ricciardo.

On the other hand, Ricciardo’s teammate, Lando Norris, put in a good performance on Saturday. The young Briton will start the race from P6, ahead of the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. McLaren will hope that Norris defends his position from the Spaniard when the lights go out on Sunday.

Also read: Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto insists Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are free to race each other despite battle with McLaren

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
carlos sainz Charles Leclerc Daniel Ricciardo Lando Norris McLaren Qatar GP Sergio Perez

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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