Daniel Ricciardo made his first return to the top step of an F1 podium at Monza last year after struggling early on with McLaren’s MCL35M. And Ricciardo reckoned that the Italian GP win wasn’t just the highlight of his ‘wild’ year – but perhaps the highlight of his career to date.
Ricciardo left Renault for McLaren in 2021. His new team achieved a P4 place in the Championship, thanks in part to the Australian’s win at the Italian Grand Prix – that race was voted last season’s best on F1.com and McLaren also secured a win just one-two one teams in 2021.
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And Ricciardo, when asked about his ‘proudest moment’ of last season, said: ‘I have to go with Monza. But it’s not just because I won the race. It’s more the fact that I’m sure 99% of people wouldn’t have knocked me down for a win this year, so that’s the moment I’m most proud of; I’ve found a way to break through some of the low points and make the most of the opportunity that presents itself.
“The more time that has passed since Monza, the more I feel the impact of that. And I truly believe it was the greatest moment, win, race, day of my motorsport career.”
2021 Italian Grand Prix: Ricciardo takes McLaren’s first win since 2012
Aside from the Monza success, Ricciardo added in an interview on the McLaren website that he gave his final season a “six” out of 10. When asked if he had any regrets, he gave a typically candid response, comparing the trials and tribulations from his first season at McLaren to his final season at Red Bull in 2018.
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“For me, some of the bad days this year weren’t because I didn’t try, so in a way I don’t have any regrets either. I don’t feel like I could have tried any harder. If I felt like I didn’t give it my all, I might regret it a bit, but I don’t. So yeah, no regrets, just memories – those words were actually my first tattoo.
“The second half of 2018 had its challenges… but this year as a whole, yes absolutely: when I think about the first half and then the highs, it’s been pretty wild. I certainly think back to the second half of the season much better than I did in August.”
A rendering of McLaren’s 2021 livery on the 2022 car
Now McLaren, having missed out on third place in the championship against rivals Ferrari, is gearing up for a new season with new cars and Ricciardo added that the new rules and machines should add to the excitement we’ve seen in 2021 .
“I think the new cars are very exciting for F1 because they should shake things up a bit. I mean, [in 2021] it was quite a mess at times: we saw a few different winners and a lot of teams on the podium.
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“I think [2022] opens the door to more of it. The most important thing we all want … is closer races – to be able to follow a car ahead easier and have more fights,” he concluded.
The Woking team continues with Mercedes power for a second season, looking to return to its glory days as a new era in F1 dawns.
