“It’s been a long time to wait to be in this position”–Daniel Ricciardo gets his first podium with McLaren in the Italian Grand Prix sprint race.
Daniel Ricciardo’s time with McLaren so far was an unpleasant ride until the Italian Grand Prix, where the Australian race driver has left a mark of his brilliance by getting his first podium with McLaren in the sprint race event.
Ricciardo was delighted with his achievement and claimed that it was good to be back. “It’s been a long time to wait to be in this position. It’s good to be back,” said Ricciardo.
DANIEL: “It’s been a long time to wait to be in this position. It’s good to be back!”#ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/SJGgqVt2Fr
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2021
Ricciardo finished behind Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen, respectively and gained a point for his impressive performance, where he displaced Hamilton from his position after a good start.
A front-row start
Due to the engine penalty, Bottas will be starting from the end of the grid, lifting the whole grid a position up from their sprint race positions, meaning Ricciardo, who finished P3 on Saturday, will be starting the race in Monza from P2.
This will be his first front-row start this season, keeping him in a good position to aim for an ideal result in Monza on Sunday and overturn his fortune with McLaren.
So far, Ricciardo’s best result with McLaren has only been a P4, which he bagged in the Belgian GP, but a podium from the main race is still awaited.
On the other hand, his teammate Lando Norris will be right behind him during the race start, accompanying his compatriot Hamilton, who will be at the P4 start.
Therefore, this is a great opportunity for McLaren to gain a lead over Ferrari in the points table.
