Daniel Ricciardo is experiencing a very complicated season with McLaren
The adventure at McLaren is not going as planned for Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian is 9th in the standings with only 50 points.
When going to McLaren after two years at Renault’s team, Ricciardo did not think he would experience a complicated season. He is dissatisfied with his first half of the season. And rightly so given his level. The Australian is experiencing failures while Norris is regularly in the top 5 in races. He is being outperformed by his teammate. While the British driver holds the third place in the championship with 113 points ahead of Bottas, Ricciardo has only 50 points and is only in ninth place. The gap is enormous.
He struggles to understand his lack of performance. His teammate manages to work wonders behind the wheel of the McLaren. We remember the lap Norris took in Monaco. Ricciardo had a hard time on one of his favorite circuits. Worse still, in Hungary, in a car damaged by the accident caused by Bottas, Ricciardo finished in 11th place, behind two Williams and an Alfa Romeo.
« It’s really a more complicated season. It’s the first time I find it difficult. Of course, over the years, there are bad weekends, and we can even have two bad ones in a row, but now I feel it’s really worse.
His first adventure in the orange team is not going as planned. Yet, he admits that he needs to raise his level to match his teammate. The summer break should do him good. The return to Belgium looks promising.
« Sometimes, you also have to realize and remember that I am at the top of this sport. I have more difficulties than before, but there is probably a reason for that too. I am up against the best drivers. I just have to step up my level and understand.
