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“Painful is an understatement”: 8 GP winner Daniel Ricciardo is heartbroken after disappointing performance at US Grand Prix

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"Painful is an understatement": 8 GP winner Daniel Ricciardo is heartbroken after disappointing performance at US Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo admitted that his poor performances with McLaren this season have been too painful to deal with. 

2022 has been extremely tough on Ricciardo with the Aussie struggling both on and off track. He signed a three-year deal with McLaren back in 2021, but his poor performances this year have led to the Woking-based outfit axing him with still a year remaining.

Ricciardo will leave the team at the end of the season, and 2021 F2 Champion Oscar Piastri will replace him. The 33-year-old did plan on leaving the sport on a high but his poor run of form continued at the US Grand Prix.

Austin is a place that Ricciardo absolutely adores and every single year we see him having a lot of fun in the Texan capital. This year, however, his result was so disappointing that it took out most of the fun. The honey badger qualified in 16th for the race and finished where he started, 90 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen.

Also read: “Sebastian Vettel would have driven for more years”: 4-time World Champion couldn’t continue with F1 journey because of stress away from track

Austin was not memorable this year for Daniel Ricciardo

After the race, Ricciardo lamented over yet another disastrous outing. He seemed visibly upset, and told the reporter that he had nothing to say about his result. The McLaren driver remains unsure as to why the gap between himself and Lando Norris is still so high.

Moreover, probably for the first time in his career, Ricciardo admitted that he did not have fun at the US Grand Prix in Austin. He added that he still loves the place as a city, but it was his worst Grand Prix ever because he was so off the pace.

Also read: “Hopefully next year we’ll win”: Charles Leclerc aspires to beat his chief rival for ultimate prize in 2023

US Grand Prix tops all of Ricciardo’s horrible 2022 results

Ricciardo has had several underwhelming performances this season. However, he chooses Austin as arguably his worst outing. Nothing looked right for him this weekend, and he was absolutely devastated after the race.

The former Red Bull driver put on a smile while speaking to the cameras, but admitted that it was really painful to do this over and over again. He has planned on bouncing back several times this year, but it’s been difficult to find pace in the MCL36 for him.

“When you think it can’t get worse, it does,” the 8 GP winner said. “I don’t know how I’m continuing to continue because painful is an understatement.”

Ricciardo has just three races to end his McLaren stint on a high. Next season, we won’t see him on the F1 grid but it’s likely that he’ll take up a reserve role somewhere. He will be hoping to get a seat at a competitive team as he plans on returning to the sport in 2024.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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