After a disappointing 2021 with McLaren, has Daniel Ricciardo made peace with what might be his place and role within the team?
Your teammate is your direct measure of performance in Formula 1. While it is important for teammates to be on good terms with each, every driver is there in F1 to beat the rest. This is why teams see some degree of rivalry between their two drivers on the track.
A good driver pairing can make or break a team’s chances at optimal performance in a year. This year saw radically new regulations being introduced. All teams will want both their drivers to work well together in order to get more out of the new cars.
Last year, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo very obviously struggled to keep up with his young teammate Lando Norris. Despite the win in Monza, Ricciardo failed to live up to expectations.
Now, Ricciardo has the opportunity to up his game in 2022. Having been part of the design of the new car, the Australian would have been able to give in more inputs. Thus, it can be assumed that Ricciardo might be more comfortable than he was in last year’s papaya car.
Speaking about how he plans on working with Norris this year, Ricciardo had an optimistic approach.
“I’m talking to Lando. I think now is an important moment to work with him. We need to be on the same page to push the team in the right direction.”
Also read: Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz free to fight each other during 2022 season
The Battle is on for McLaren
McLaren had a fairly decent 2021. The Woking-based team made big moves last season despite not finishing third in the Constructor’s standings like in 2020. The new regulations were meant to be a curveball for all the teams.
However, it might be the case that McLaren’s upward trajectory may not have peaked just yet.
McLaren turned out to be one of the surprises of the preseason testing in Barcelona. While the buzz around Ferrari occupied most of the conversation, McLaren silently and consistently chipped their way to the near of the top of the time charts.
Ricciardo spoke about the way he has been spending more time participating in the car’s development this year. He mentioned that he’s been giving ‘as much feedback as possible and is wasting no time at all.
The former Renault driver also made sure to let it be known that he prefers the time before the start of the season to work on the car development rather than once the season has begun.
“At this point of the year, you really give your all, because you have time on your side. I think in a race weekend, you always try to get to the point in a short time, now I say everything.”
Ricciardo summarised his present attitude regarding testing by proclaiming that there is no such thing as ‘too much information.
Also read: McLaren with Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris can steal the show in 2022 predicts Formula 1 expert
