2-time F1 Champion claims Daniel Ricciardo’s performances affected McLaren’s development

For Daniel Ricciardo, 2022 could be his last season as an F1 driver. McLaren parted ways after terminating his contract a year earlier than its expiry. But there is still some hope of a return in the driver’s mind.

Ricciardo has opted to take a break from racing. In the meanwhile, the 34-year-old rejoined Red Bull as their reserve driver with the aim to return to the F1 grid in 2024.

But 2-time F1 World Champion and former McLaren racer Mika Hakkinen finds such a return highly unlikely. And considering the Australian’s below-par 2022 performance, there may not be many teams requiring his services.

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Will a poor 2022 result affect Daniel Ricciardo?

Daniel Ricciardo finished 11th in the 2022 Drivers standings with 37 points in his tally. Compared to him, teammate Lando Norris accumulated 122 points, grabbed a podium finish and fared 7th.

Daniel’s performance was way off his teammate across the season. The Aussie was out-qualified by Norris on 20 of the 22 weekends. And this might have been the reason Danny Ric was let go.

Being so far behind your teammate is a bad sign for a driver. “You have always room to compare and the comparison with Lando Norris was not helpful,” claims Hakkinen.

McLaren lost out the battle for P4 to Alpine, a position they had achieved in 2021. And with Ricciardo contributing less than 25% of the team’s total points, he was the Achilles heel of the team.

Hakkinen claims the unsatisfactory performances might have affected the MCL36’s development too. He adds, “One-tenth, two-tenths, I can live with that. But if you are more than that, then it’s not good for the development of the car.”

Hakkinen states, “And if you are more than that behind your teammate, then that requires a different kind of development for the car. And this development is not good for the team.”

Also Read: “I have a lot of respect for Daniel Ricciardo” – Lando Norris says he will “miss” him at McLaren next year

Ricciardo’s return looks improbable to Hakkinen

Just like Daniel Ricciardo, Mika Hakkinen too considered taking a break from racing following a slump in his performance. The Finn eventually announced his retirement and never returned back to the grid.

Even drivers like Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso announced their departure from the sport but returned after a couple of years. But this doesn’t mean Ricciardo has the same odds of returning back claims Hakkinen.

Unlike Alonso or Kimi, Danny Ric won’t have the same welcome back. “It’s easier for them because they chose to go away,” reasons Hakkinen. “They’re world champions.”

Ricciardo’s role at Red Bull sees him as a reserve driver to Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen. The 8-GP winner will be deployed for show runs and will test the car occasionally on Fridays.

With Perez’s contract expiring in 2024, there seems to be no vacancy at Red Bull. But if tensions flare up between the duo, some levers could be pulled and Ricciardo might see himself contending for a Red Bull seat. But until then, a return to the 2024 F1 grid seems far from reality.

Also Read: “He was positive even during the struggle”- McLaren boss reveals how crucial Daniel Ricciardo was to them despite enduring difficult times