Ricciardo: One last time in papaya

Daniel Ricciardo will make his final appearance in Papaya in this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Formula 1’s season finale, and in a special livery on his MCL36.

And so the time has come for Daniel Ricciardo to say goodbye to McLaren, and maybe to F1 as well, since the future us still vague for the Australian.

Ricciardo will be replaced by compatriot Oscar Piastri in 2023, following his underperformance over the two seasons he spent with the Woking-based outfit.

Speaking ahead of his last race with McLaren, the Honey Badger said: “Here we go, one last time in papaya. I’m looking forward to getting out there and giving it everything for these last days of the season.

“I think there could be some fun battles and potential to overtake in these new cars so it will be great to put the MCL36 through one last dance.

“My focus is now trying to finish this season on the highest possible high,” the Aussie concluded.

McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl added: “The team are excited for Abu Dhabi. It has been a long season with everyone working extremely hard, so we have one final big push to go.

“The team will also say goodbye to Daniel at the end of the weekend, but until Sunday evening we keep fighting together,” he added.

“It will be interesting to see how this year’s car runs on the new layout that we debuted last year as hopefully it will allow for good overtaking opportunities.

“Whilst the gap to P4 in the Constructors’ Championship is bigger than hoped, this season has shown that anything is possible so we keep our heads down and continue to fight as hard as we can for these final few days.

“Let’s go team,” the German concluded referring to his team’s fight with Alpine for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, as they are currently on a 19-point deficit.

McLaren to run a special livery in Abu Dhabi

Earlier, McLaren announced that their MCL36 will be donning a special livery designed by Lebanese Anna Tangles as part of the Driven by Change campaign and in collaboration with the team’s partner Vuse.

“Driven by Change gives underrepresented creatives the platform to showcase their work to a global audience through motorsport,” McLaren said in a statement. “The initiative was launched at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where UAE-based artist Rabab Tantawy’s artwork was represented on McLaren’s F1 race cars.”

Seidl commented on the special livery saying: “Vuse have taken over the livery for this race weekend as part of their Driven by Change initiative which is a nice way to celebrate the end of the season.”

Lando Norris is excited about driving his MCL36 with the special colors; he said: “It’s the final race weekend of the year!

“We have some bouncing back to do from last weekend but I’m looking forward to getting back on track and fighting for one last time this season.

“The car is also looking really cool for this weekend in a special livery with our partner Vuse so I’m excited for you to see it out on track. Let’s make the last race a positive one,” the Briton concluded.

Artist Anna Tangles added: “As a lifelong F1 fan, I never believed that I would one day have showcased my artwork at a Grand Prix – and it’s all thanks to Driven by Change.

“I dedicate my spare time to training and discourage other artists, particularly other Middle Eastern female creatives, to embrace their passion and skills, and so it’s a privilege to be a part of a community that supports the same ambition of empowering underrepresented artists in this way,” she added.

sleep tight

See you on the track!

#DrivenByChange pic.twitter.com/NOU32f0R6g

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) November 16, 2022