It’s safe to say that Daniel Ricciardo hasn’t been at his best since joining the McLaren F1 team. Of course, the Australian has not missed any points in any of his races so far this season. Given his extensive experience and current form, a top 10 result is the least one would expect from him.
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What was more disappointing, however, was that he was constantly and almost certainly overtaken by his teammate Lando Norris. This was the story from Ricciardo’s McLaren union to the Portuguese GP.
Formula 1 F1 – Spanish Grand Prix – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain – May 8th 2021 McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo in action during the training pool via REUTERS / Nacho Doce
Interestingly enough, Ricciardo looked a little different during the Barcelona race weekend. Ricciardo, who qualified in P7, had a brilliant start to the race, almost claiming his first Top 5 result of the season before Sergio Perez stole it with a breathtaking pull outside of Turn 1.
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The silver lining for his P6, however, is that he managed to beat his teammate Lando Norris for the first time.
As a result, F1 CEO Ross Brawn felt the timing was perfect for Ricciardo’s possible return to form. Why, you might ask?
Well, it’s a known fact that the honey badger will project a different shape stage when it arrives in Monaco, which is also the next stop on the F1 calendar.
Spain will be a confidence boost for Daniel Ricciardo: Brawn
The 66-year-old wrote for Formula 1 and reported on Ricciardo’s desperate attempt to revive his old form, which has apparently finally paid off.
“It’s fair to say we were disappointed with Daniel’s performance this year. But Sunday was a step in the right direction. And I think he’ll feel a lot more positive now, ”Brawn calculated.
“McLaren is a couple of places down where they would like to be in Spain because of their speed. But for Daniel this will certainly be a confidence boost. He’s generally doing well in Monaco too. So this result comes at the perfect time and could be the beginning of a consistent improvement. “
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Formula 1 F1 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy – Daniel Ricciardo from McLaren at the FIA press conference FIA / Handout via REUTERS
Ricciardo is still 17 points behind Norris, who is fighting hard for a top 4 place in the overall standings. Along with Norris are Perez and Charles Leclerc. Hence, it will be interesting to see Ricciardo catch up with this pack and join the interesting fight.
Will the Monaco Grand Prix be the race weekend that will spark Ricciardo’s true F1 form? Can the Australian manage to secure a podium on this popular classic street circuit?
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